


On Broken Roads

by River_Nightrunner



Series: On Irradiated Roads [1]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Baby Deathclaws, Complete, Denial of Feelings, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Ghouls, Heartache, Hurt/Comfort, Insomnia, Non-con fade to black, Rough Sex, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Smut, Wasteland type gore, ghoul smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-02-11 08:44:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 43
Words: 149,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12931701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/River_Nightrunner/pseuds/River_Nightrunner
Summary: After the death of her adopted mother Rachel needed a change of scenery. Leaving the Mojave behind she heads East, running from her demons.When she runs into Charon in Underworld he's pretty sure she's insane but hell, at least he's out of the 9th Circle.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The unrelenting sun beat down on the back of a red headed woman crouched on the road. She looked down at the body of the raider she'd just killed and shook her head. He might have been a handsome once, maybe even had the potential to be a good man, of course that was years of alcohol and chem addiction ago.

Rachel rummaged through the raider's pockets, and grimaced. The man was filthy, and while living in the wasteland got a person used to dirt Raiders were a special kind of dirty. She tried not to think about what was likely clinging to every fiber of the man's clothing as she pulled out a few .308 rounds, some Jet and a syringe of Med-X.

She pulled a knife from his boot but after a good look at it she tossed it aside, it was so rusted and chipped that it wasn't even worth trying to scrap it. She did find three grimy caps in the same boot and swiftly pocketed them.

Rachel stood, and placed her sunglasses back down onto her nose before hefting her pack up onto the shoulder not occupied by her sniper rifle. She looked up the road, it seemed deserted but so had it seemed before the raider attacked.

It struck her as odd the he had been alone, like the wild dogs that roamed the area, raiders hunted in packs. Rachel moved off to the side of the road, not wanting to be seen before she knew what it was that was seeing her. These where dangerous roads and being carless she knew would only get her killed.

She wanted a relatively secure bed to sleep in tonight and to unload the scrap she had managed to scavenge on her travels throughout the western wasteland. Thankfully when she reached the crest in the hill she was on she saw the dinosaur tower in the distance. The T-Rex looking out over the Mojave protected the settlement of Novac. Rachel had been there many times before. It was a pleasant little town, safe with the snipers nested in the mouth of the T-Rex statue. Novac was the closest thing to a home that she'd ever had.

It took two hours to get to the gate and with the sun setting over the horizon she was happy to find the gate open still. Soon it would be closed and lock for the night. Rachel saluted to the daytime sniper and he waved back, getting ready for his shift change.

She entered the motel office and met the wide smile of the friendly woman who ran the rental rooms.

"Rachel, dear, it's good to see you," She told her kindly. To be honest, the woman always seemed a little too kind for the rough existence mankind had suffered since the Great War, but then again maybe it was her own harsh life style that made her feel the way she did.

"It's good to see you too ma'am, can I get a room for the night?" Rachel asked and the woman nodded.

"Of course, your usual room is available, here's the key dear," She said, sliding a battered key across the counter as Rachel counted out her caps.

She went up the steps and unlocked her room; it was comfortably familiar inside. She set her pack down on her bed along with her rifle, then plopped herself down on the gun and stripped off her boots.

She locked the front door, cautious women didn't get caught with their ass in the breeze, and then headed for the bathroom. She turned the taps and was pleased to find the water running this time around. It wasn't always. The water was cold but after a week in the dessert that was just fine. Rachel stripped off her clothes, leaving them in the sink and stepped into the now full tub.

Using her hands and a scrap of cloth she used for cleaning she scrubbed off a weeks' worth of dust, sweat and blood. When she was done she used a threadbare towel to dry herself and she drained the tub. When the dirty water was gone she filled it back up and dumped her clothes into the new water.

While her laundry soaked she pulled on a faded pair of pants and a simple tank top. Then she sat on the bed and went to work on her armor. Working oil into the leather and polishing the metal, making sure it was in working order.

When she got her armor in the best condition she could she moved on to her weapons, cleaning both her rifle and her 9mm pistol. She sharpened her knife last, sighing. The last thing she did before crawling into bed was take her clothes from the tub, rinse them under the tap and hang them around the room to dry.

It was black in the room when Rachel opened her eyes but she wasn't surprised, she always woke two or three hours before dawn. She never seemed to be able to sleep more than absolutely necessary to keep her functional.

Stretching she got up, and pulled on the pants she'd dropped on the floor the night before. She rinsed her mouth out with a swig of purified water and swallowed it, not wanting to waste the water even though she was safely inside the settlement.

Rachel pulled on her boots and opened her pack, digging in it until she found what she wanted. It was a gift wrapped in a rag to protect it on the road to Novac. She held it in the crook of her arm and grabbed her rifle on her way out the door, knowing where she'd find her closest friend.

The first time she'd stayed in Novac wasn't a pleasant memory. She'd been unlucky enough to get into a dust up with a cazador. The giant wasp had managed to embed it's stinger into her thigh before she managed to put enough lead into the insect to kill it. Bleeding freely and with the venom coursing threw her veins she stumbled towards the dinosaur in the distance, fueled only by the will to survive.

Rachel had collapsed not far from the gate and the night sniper had taken pity on her. He and a couple of locals had dragged her inside and after the local doctor had dosed her with anti venom Craig Boone had brought her home to be nursed back to the land of the living by his wife. Neither he nor Carla trusted the good doctor's skill beyond a simple injection.

Now she climbed the stairs on her way up the dinosaur's mouth, and grinned as she pushed through the metal door at the top.

"Guess what?" she said as the sniper turned to look at who had entered his nest, "I'm not dead yet,"

"Well look what the Mole Rat drug in, how are you kid," He asked, setting his rifle down and standing to give her a warm hug. Well, as close to warm as Boone got anyway. He wasn't a touchy-feely type of person.

"It's good to see you Boone," she told him softly, hugging him back quickly.

He stepped away and looked at her sympathetically, taking his seat and gesturing for her to take the other metal folding chair, "Been a long road?" he asked and she nodded.

"It's getting worse Boone, the Legion. I passed through whole towns, ones I used to stop and trade in, but they were just gone. Ashes, and if there were survivors they were too wounded for me to help. I- I put a bullet in more than one person nailed to a cross." She told him glaring out at the waste as she fought not to choke on the lump in her throat.

Boone put a hand on her should, "You did the right thing, and if you couldn't help them then I'm not sure many others out there could either,"

She nodded but didn't say anything; she knew more than the average person about healing but the blood stained memories of those people would haunt her nightmares for a longtime.

"Rachel," He started but she shook her head, changing the subject.

"I brought Carla a present," she told him, forcing her voice to be brighten as she handed over her package.

Boone unwrapped the cloth and grinned, looking down at the bottle of wine in his hands "Is this really from the Ultra Lux?"

"You know it, I couldn't come away from The Strip without a little piece of it for your lovely wife," She told him and he laughed.

Rachel knew Carla wasn't well liked in Novac, people thought she was a snob, but that wasn't true. She had just grown up on the strip, and while she loved Boone and understood that as a sniper he was one of Novac's best defenses, she still missed her home.

"She'll love it. You know, I'm thinking about moving there. Manny can guard the town and train others to do it too. They don't really need me. And the safety would be nice," He told her, looking out over the moonlit wasteland. Rachel eyed him, there was something in his voice. Something he wasn't saying.

"You used to think that you were the only thing keeping this place alive. Why the sudden change of heart?" She asked suspiciously,

He shrugged, but his mouth broke into a ridiculous grin as he said, "Things change, a boy grows into a man and starts thinking about the future,"

He was doing this on purpose, "Craig Boone what are you hiding?" She demanded, although she was starting to get the feeling that she knew.

"Carla would want our kids to grow up somewhere safe," he said, looking at Rachel out of the corner of his eye.

Rachel gasped, hand clapping over her mouth. "Carla's pregnant!"

His grin got even goofier if that was possible. It didn't look right on Boone. He looked insane but it was in a nice kinda way. "Yeah, I think I made the decision to move the second we knew for sure, and I'm glad you blew into town, because I wanted to ask you if you wanted to travel with us. I was going to ask Manny if you didn't show up, but somebody should stay to watch over things and he and Carla don't exactly get along."

"I would be honored, when do you want to leave?" She asked him,

"At the end of the week if you can stand sticking around for that long," he told her.

"Four days? I guess but you're lucky I love you guys," she told him, grinning.


	2. Chapter 2

The last couple hours of Boone's watch went smoothly. Rachel and Boone took down a small group of raiders that were getting a little too curious of comfort and they talked about Boone's future offspring. Every time he said the word "baby" he grinned like an idiot. It was plain he wanted the best life possible for his family.

An hour or so after dawn the metal door opened and Manny entered the nest with his own rifle slung over his shoulder.

"Hey, Rachel's still in town. How's the Waste kid?"

"Hot, dry, and full of things that want to eat me," She told him with a grin.

"Well I'm glad you're uneaten," He told her as he and Boone traded places, Rachel got up too. She wanted to go congratulate Carla.

Rachel followed Boone down the stairs and across the dirt to his bungalow. He opened the door and she trailed him into the quiet house.

"She must still be asleep," He told Rachel in a hushed tone, moving toward the bedroom. Rachel waited politely by the door, bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation.

"Carla, Guess who blew into town." he called as he disappeared into the other room. Rachel waited for a heartbeat of silence and then Boone's voice called louder, "Carla?"

He came out of the bedroom and crossed to the bathroom, knocking on the door. "Carla? Are you in there babe?"

After a moment of quiet he opened the door. Empty.

He was frowning, Rachel was to. It wasn't like Carla to not be home in the morning. She liked to be there when Boone got off shift.

"Maybe she went to office for supplies?" Rachel suggested though it seemed unlikely.

Boone nodded and was out the door with Rachel on his heels. They jogged across the dirt and burst into the Motel office.

Jenny looked up startled enough that she slopped a little of her morning coffee onto the counter.

"What-" she started but Boone cut her off sharply.

"Have you seen Carla?"

"What? No dear, why? Is she missing?" Jenny asked, Boone's mouth pressed into a hard line and he turned around, leaving as quickly as he'd come. Rachel looked at Jenny as she followed him and she frowned, she could have sworn she just saw something like triumph in the woman's eyes. She shook her head, no Jenny was a sweet woman and it was panic that was making her mind suspicious. It came from too much time in old ruins where everything was a potential threat to her life. Rachel balled her hands into fists and beat the panic in her chest down, calling to Boone that she was going to recheck the tower.

She took the stairs two at a time, and yanked the door open.

Manny spun, so startled he had to catch the cigarette that fell from his mouth mid drag.

"Carla's missing," Rachel blurted out.

"What?" Manny asked, this time his cigarette fell to the floor and was left forgotten. They starred at each other for half a heartbeat before they both bolted down the stairs.

They found Boone crouched outside the bedroom window, inspecting the ground. Like any good NCR solider he'd swept the perimeter of his home in his search for his wife.

"Craig?" Manny asked, as they approached.

"She was taken," he said in a low cold undertone that had the hair on the back of Rachel's neck standing up. "There are tracks here. There were three, no four of them. And I found this," he held up a scrap of red cloth, "It was Legionnaires."

Rachel turned pale under her tan. "Manny, better start knocking on doors, see who else is missing." She said, "I've come across their work before and if they didn't burn this place to the ground then it was a slave party,"

Manny nodded and left to do what she'd suggested. Rachel crouched next to her friend, feeling the anger radiate off him in waves.

"This is my fault," He growled, hands shaking with barely contained rage. "How did I miss them?"

Rachel moved, tracking the slavers foot prints in the dirt to where they'd entered the town.

"It's not. They came in right here," She told him pointing, "In a weak place in the fence, there's no way you could have spotted them," Rachel told him firmly, but she frowned to herself. Something didn't feel right about this whole thing. Could it have been just luck that they found a way in so easily? People milled around at all hours of the night. For a legion party to get in and out without being seen at all, it just seemed a little too impossible.

Boone stood abruptly, disappearing around the corner, but Rachel heard his front door slam shut behind him. She had a feeling she knew what he was doing and set her jaw, sprinting back up to her own room.

She grab her now dry clothes, stuffing them into her pack roughly along with everything else she'd taken out in the few hours she'd been there. She took the time to dump the salvage she'd been meaning to sell onto the bed, not wanting the extra weight and strapped on her armor.

She and Boone were going for a walk.

The last thing she did before leaving the room was load all her weapons. She was glad she'd taken the time to clean and repair them the night before. Pack slung over her shoulder she left just in time to see Boone exit his house. He was armored up and looked ready for a long expedition into the Wastes.

"Boone!" She called but he didn't seem to hear her. She jogged across the dirt to his side. "Boone, I'm coming with you."

"It's too dangerous," He growled, looking down at her without breaking his stride.

"The hell it is." She growled back, "You and Carla are the closest thing to family I got. I'm coming with you even if I have to track you through the Wasteland."

He looked at the fire in her eyes and nodded curtly. "Fine,"

"Manny!" she yelled, seeing the other man come out of a hotel room. "Who else are we looking for?"

The other sniper put his hand on the back of his neck, looking disturbed. "Nobody, Carla is the only one missing,"

Both Rachel and Boone stiffened, that didn't make any sense, then the big man nodded and together he and Rachel walked out of the gates of Novac. With one eye on the horizon and one on the trail the slavers left behind they walked.

The trail was nothing but light indents in the loose orange tinted dirt that made up the Mojave. Rachel was experienced in the wasteland enough to see it as a shadowy path but to the trained First Recon Sniper beside her it might as well have been a freshly paved highway.

The slavers weren't doing anything to try and hide their tracks, maybe they thought nobody would have the balls to go after them. Maybe they didn't think anyone was good enough to pose too much of a threat. Together she and Boone were going to make sure they knew the miscalculation they'd made.

It was late afternoon when they came to a halt, looking out over the ancient abandoned airport. Rachel had heard rumors of a Legion base not far from here and had avoided the area in her own travels.

"Boone, I heard talk of Cottonwood Cove being a Legion base, it looks like they're headed in that direction. Think we should take to high ground?"

It was formed as a question but she put some authority behind it. She wasn't so confident in their skills to think they could walk into a camp as big as Cottonwood was supposed to be and walk back out alive.

Boone nodded, eyeing the giant radscorpion sunning itself on the tarmac just inside the chain link fence. It didn't seem very interested in the humans.

They started down the cracked road leading to Cottonwood, and as they came closer they could hear people off in the distance.

Boone halted, using a hand signal to tell Rachel to move into the rocks, the big hills dropped off sharply on the side facing the cove and it would give them a good vantage point.

Together they climbed, carefully moving over the boulders and watching for any predators. Boone moved ahead, looking over the rocks and then stepped left, he'd found a plateau on a ledge overlooking the cove. Perfect for a snipers nest.

Rachel crouched and moved to the edge, looking down into what was a summer camp back before the whole world burned. Her mouth dropped open and it felt like ice was settling in the pit of her stomach. There were hundreds of them swarming like ants all over the timeworn vacation spot, and it looked like more where coming in from the river. She could see the boats in the distance coming towards them.

She looked over at Boone, he was stony. He dropped his pack on the hard packed dirt and drug into it. "We make camp here,"

Rachel nodded and moved to her own pack. They set up camp quickly as the sun began to sink, a very small fire set back away from the ledge. There bedrolls laid out and a small lean-to set up on the edge and low to the ground. It was too help camouflage them as they looked down into the camp with their rifles.

Rachel lay on her stomach, staring down into the camp. It was fully dark now and the men down below where having a great time. Watching them made her feel sick.

Her mind kept going over and over how they could possibly get those enslaved people out. Carla had been the only one taken from Novac but she'd seen a lot of other people with slave collars on down there.

"They're going to sell her," Boone said quietly next to her. Rachel jumped; to this day he was the only one who could sneak up on her. It was the first thing he'd said in hours and the truth in it broke her heart.

"I know,"she whispered, "This is one of the biggest slave auctions I've ever even heard of, there's got to be a thousand soldiers down there,"

Rachel looked over at her longtime friend, he looked like hell, "Go get some sleep Boone, I'll take the first watch,"

He looked like he wanted to argue but she shook her head, "I got a solid night's sleep last night. You didn't. Go."

He finally went, after Rachel promised to wake him up in three hours for his own watch. Rachel hated lying to him but if it meant he'd at least try to sleep she'd deal with it. There was no way she was letting him take any watches tonight, he needed the rest. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, and she had this terrible feeling that it wasn't going to end well.


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel sat in the dirt with her back to their camp, looking down at Cottonwood. More legionaries had arrived in the night, each new boat adding both soldiers and slaves to the already impressive numbers below.

She heard Boone stir behind her as a faint glow lit the horizon. Dawn was less than an hour away. The big man growled as he sat up, Rachel didn't turn to look at him, feeling guilty about not waking him up.

"Rachel," he started, in a dead tone that was getting all too familiar.

"Tough, you should have known I had no intention of doing the night watch in shifts," She told him, still staring at the landscape below.

She heard him exhale, it was a sigh somewhere between gratitude and annoyance. Rachel just set her jaw stubbornly; she would not apologize or give an excuse.

She shifted and pulled her limbs in closer to her body, the night had been cold and because of the position over the camp they had not risked keeping the fire glowing past dusk.

The girl heard Boones heavy boots come up behind her, and he lay down next to her, cigarette between his lip and sunglasses on even in the early morning light.

"Here," he growled softly, thrusting a flask in her direction. She took it and unscrewed the cap, sniffing the contents, Whiskey.

Rachel gladly took a swig, letting the liquid burn in her mouth and down her throat. She took another swig and then handed it back. She didn't want her judgment to be impaired, just the ice to melt from some of her veins.

"Report," he commanded in the same monotone, it looked like he was reducing to one word voicing's this morning. That was fine with her, the anger and pain in his voice was hard on her own heart.

"The enemy increased in numbers throughout the night. Eight more boats arrived, each carrying both men and slaves. This is a gathering, it's my belief that today they are going to start selling the slaves." Rachel paused, not sure she wanted to share her calculations with him. Sure he didn't want to hear it, but then committing to giving him the full report she had. "Chances of our success, let alone our survival are currently in the single percentile,"

Boone just nodded, he seemed to have come to the same conclusion, or maybe he was simply accepting what she'd come up with as the most plausible reality.

Rachel moved away from the edge and went to her pack, taking out a bottle of purified water. She wet her mouth and put the water back, deep in thought.

She looked at the man laying six feet away and clenched her fist. Why did the world have to be so cruel.

Rachel got the fire going as dim light washed over the wasteland and fog rolled off the damp ground. She used the rest of her morning water bottle making coffee. And when it was done she brought a cup to Boone as she rejoined him at the edge of the cliffside camp.

He took it without a word.

People had started moving around below them and Rachel new in just a little wait they would begin their action. Soon she and Boone would have to act.

She had no drought that today they were both going to die but she didn't care. Or at lease she wasn't scared. If she was going to die then this seemed like a pretty good way to go. Fighting next to her best friend, trying to save someone they both cared about, and taking as many legion bastards with them as possible.

Rachel sipped at the dark liquid in her cup, looking threw her scoop. People were starting to gather around a raised platform to the left of the complex. She dragged her pack closer and pulled out her two back-up clips of her rifle. She made sure they were all fully loaded, planning to simply eject the empty clips and insert the new ones.

Boone was doing the same.

"Rachel," She looked over at him, he was still staring intently at the camp below. "It's not too late. If you walked away now, I wouldn't hold it against you."

He was giving her an out, and in the moment she knew that Boone was sure they were going to die today too. She could leave now and survive to see another sunrise.

"I would;" she told him firmly,"I'm with you Boone. So what's the plan?" She asked, and that was is, she was committed.

"We'll be dead before we do any good if we try to storm their base. There's too many of them for that. He told her, all business now. Rachel nodded and he continued, "We wait until we see Carla, then we fire on the people closest to her. She'll have the good sense to run when she gets the chance. We see what direction she takes and you follow her while I cause a distraction. Take her back to Novac and I'll meet you there."

Boone's face was hard and Rachel swallowed. She knew he had no real faith that he was going to get back to Novac. He was telling her to take Carla and leave without him.

"Boone-" She started but he shook his head.

"Promise," he growled,

Finally she nodded, "Fine, but if your ass isn't back by dusk I'm coming to look for you,"

Boone nodded and they turned their attention back to the ground below.

It was only a short hour later when the sound of a horn blasted through the air. Rachel jumped when the suddenly loud sound blasted off the canon walls. She looked threw her scoop, searching for the source. She found the offending instrument in the hands of a man standing on the platform.

The result was like flies swarming around a three day old Brahmin corpse. Men poured out of buildings and off boats. Hundreds maybe even thousands of legionnaire troops all converging around the platform.

An important looking man stood for a couple minutes, giving a speech that she and Boone were too far away to hear. He stepped back and the auction began. They watched in silence as a young woman was dragged on the stage.

It wasn't Carla, and when the girl started to sob she was rewarded by a hard slap across her face. She was sold, and her new owner dragged her away. That's how it went, each person sold making Rachel feel sicker.

Some of the newly sold slaves were brought to various building around Cottonwood but many of them were brought to the boats. That was troubling. If they managed to get Carla on one of the boats there was a good chance Rachel and Boone would never find her, the network of rivers making an easy escape route.

Finally a familiar body was led on stage. Carla had a black eye and her dress was dirty, one side had a rip in the skirt. Rachel felt Boone stiffen next to her and she heard him growl deep in his throat.

Rachel watched as her friend was described to the men gathered, the bidding started.

"On my count, you take the right," Boone hissed, and she tightened her grip on her rifle.

Rachel put her cross hairs on the man holding Carla's arm and Boone started to count.

"Three, two…one,"

Their gunfire echoed off the stone walls surrounding Cottonwood Cove and men scrambled for cover and weapons as the soldiers on the stages dropped. Carla was frozen for a single second and the she ran, jumping from the stage and heading for the rocky mountains. Rachel was poised to run and meet her when she saw a man grab Carla's arm, yanking her back. Rachel had her gun aimed but she couldn't get a clear shot.

The legion man kept Carla between himself and the mountains, drawing the woman towards the boats. The fowl thing already had its sail unfurled and oars in the water. They were ready to leave as soon as they had who Rachel assumed was their captain.

Rachel's eyes darted around, her scoop trained on Carla but taking in everything around them. Legion men who weren't retreating were arming themselves and scurrying towards them, searching for the one who had disrupted their actuation.

"Boone, we're running out of time," she called as he reload and took another shot,

"Boone, he's dragged her on the docks!" she cried, Rachel watched as the man dragged Carla onto the boat and they cut the mooring ropes, the vessel was moving.

"Rachel," He finally answered and she almost wished he hadn't. The pain in her friend's voice was extraordinary. "You know what they'll do to her,"

Rachel did know. Rape, beatings, mutilation, torture and death were all common treatment of Legion slaves.

"Rachel, Take the shot," He barked, voice hollow.

"What!" she cried, acutely aware of the men getting closer to them.

"I don't want to be the one," He pleaded, and added, "Please, on my count,"

Rachel felt like the world was closing in on her, she'd killed people before but never a friend, not even a mercy killing. "I don't think I can,"

"On my count, if you don't then I will, I promise," He said, but whether he was making that promise to himself, or maybe to Carla or even to Rachel herself she wasn't sure.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and lined up the shot, Carla's terrified face clear in her crosshairs.

"Three…Two…" Boone's voice was thick and the last number was almost too low for her to hear. But of course she did hear it and her heart constricted painfully. Eyes full of tears she took a deep breath with her finger on the trigger.

She hesitated and then a gunshot sounded. Carla Fell to the deck of the ship and it was over. Except that it wasn't, Rachel could hear the scrambling footsteps of the men looking for them.

"Boone, We-" She looked at him and swore, he was frozen next to her, dead along with his wife.

"Boone… _Craig!_ " She shouted, as she lifted her rifle and used it to take the head off of the first red skirted man to stumble into their camp.

The gunfire seemed to wake him up but she couldn't to fault him for freezing, she sincerely wished she could curl into a ball and die right now too. Unfortunately her survival instincts were too strong to allow that. She would just have to save her grief for later.

They fought off the two other men that had appeared easily and fell back.

When they had several minutes of silence the made the silent decision that they were safe for the moment and without a single word started the long walk back to Novac.


	4. Chapter 4

Golden eyes snapped open and Rachel scowled at the dark ceiling, she had very little desire to be awake. Of course she didn't want to be asleep either with the gory, heart stuttering nightmares that were waiting for her every time she closed her eyes. When Rachel gave it a bit more consideration it wasn't that was against being awake, it was that she didn't want to be left to think. To remember. Alcohol could help with that.

It had been a week since she and Boone had trudged back into Novac, exhausted but physically and emotionally. They'd gone to their separate dwellings without a word. She'd spent most of her time with him since then, mostly they sat in his cigarette smoke filled kitchen drinking and muttering curses at imaginary legion soldiers.

Rachel hauled her ass out of bed. She couldn't bring herself to try to go back to sleep, not with her nightmares making her relive those horrific moments at Cottonwood. Not with her mind so ready to show her what would have happened to Carla. Sweet Carla, who had acted like a mother to her so many times before. As heartbroken as Rachel was she still knew it was oh so much worse for Boone, she'd lost a mother. Boone though, he'd lost his whole universe.

Rachel, having nothing better to do in the quiet of fuck-it's-early pulled on her boots and left with her rifle in hand. If she and Boone were going to be miserable they might as well be so together. Manny wasn't any comfort to her friend at the moment.

Rachel would have liked Boone to spend time with Manny but she also knew that wasn't likely to happen. Boone had gotten it into his head that the other sniper had been somehow happy about Carla's death. They hadn't talked since the fight they'd had the first day back.

Her boots left dusty footprints on the metal steps as she climbed up the dino-tower. She opened the door and slipped into the nest silently. Boone was there of course, sullen and angry as he stared out into the dark wasteland.

She took her normal seat and Boone wordlessly offered her a cigarette. She took it and used the scuffed flip lighter she'd found to ignite the tobacco. Rachel knew it was bad for her but she decided life was shot so fuck it. Boone flicked two fingers against her arm and she handed over her lighter without needing to ask him what he wanted.

"I been thinking," she said after fifteen minutes of heavy silence.

"Hm?" he asked, he hadn't spoken anymore then absolutely necessary since they left Cottonwood.

"Well it was bugging me, they got in and out." She kept her words soft and messured, thinking even as she talked. "They knew when the town would be the most dead, they only took her and they knew where the hole in the fence was. Nobody is that good, or that…lucky. I'm not. You're not. They had help." Rachel watched him as she spoke and he stiffened, the little red head confirming his own suspicions.

"You're right, I've been thinking the same."

"What do we do?" she asked him. "To find the bastard,"

He thought for a minute then pulled his first recon beret off his head, handing it to her.

"Here, they will be less likely to be off guard around me. You're better at poking around unseen. Do your thing. When you find them bring them out front while I'm working. Use that beret as our signal." He grit his teeth, the last sentence coming out as a growl. "I'll do the rest."

Rachel nodded, it was the most he'd spoken in over a week but she was having a hard time being happy about it. This whole thing weighed heavily on her shoulders. She'd find the person responsible for getting Carla taken, and then they'd pay.

"Okay, I'll start sniffing around after dawn. In the mean time I need a drink and I know where Jenny keep her good stuff," Rachel stood and he nodded, "I'll go get it,"

Rachel eased into the office and looked around for people, empty. She stayed low anyway and crept behind the main counter. She crouched next to the floor safe nestled there and pulled out her lock picks, setting to work. Sometimes the better surviving locks would give her trouble but this one was easy.

The lock gave a satisfying click of compliance and Rachel smiled, taking the two bottles of scotch that had been stashed there. She'd pay for them later she promised herself, she was about to close the safe when a scrap of paper caught her eye. Ever curious she picked it up and began to read.

As she did her heart fell into the pit of her stomach and the world imploded. It was a bill of sale. Stating that Jenny-may Crawford was selling one female: Carla Boone, and her unborn child to the Legion.

"How-?" Rachel whispered, staring at the paper. Jenny was supposed to be one of the nicest old ladies in the waste. It didn't make any sense. _Why?_ Why would Jenny want to tear a pregnant woman from her husband? A man who'd faithful guarded the town every night since the couple had moved to Novac.

Rachel swallowed hard, trying to calm the erratic clenching around her heart. A cold hit ball settled into the pit of her stomach and, with whispered curses falling from her lips, Rachel decided she was taking the Bill of Sale and the caps in the safe along with the booze.

She stuffed the note and caps into her pants pocket and the booze in her jacket. She thought about going to get Boone but they already had a plan in place. Rachel didn't hesitate for more than a moment before making her way down to knock on Jennie's door. There was no advantage to putting it off. In fact if she did wait and Jenny found her safe empty when she opened shop in a couple hours the traitorous bitch might manage to escape.

Jenny finally pulled her door open, eyes heavy with sleep and concerned expression.

"Rachel dear? What is it?"

"Oh jenny you have to come see this, It right out front," Rachel said earnestly, pointing out in the direction she wanted to go and taking a few steps.

"What it is?" Jenny asked, confused.

"Hurry," Rachel giggled, playing her part. "It'll disappear," Rachel said, taking her hand and tugging it impatiently,

"Alright dear, I'm coming. Are you feeling alright?" she asked, Jenny clearly though she was on jet right now and was humoring her.

Yeah be kind and sweet when not two weeks ago you sold my mother. She thought as she led the woman out across the cracked pavement. Rachel reached in her pocket and pulled out Boone's first recon beret. She set her jaw and slipped it on over her short red hair.

They were out past the town gates, and jenny was getting nervous.

"Rachel? Dear how far it this thing you want-" she was cut off by the sound of a gunshot, and Rachel was splattered with the older woman's blood. She looked down at Jenny and found she no longer had a head.

Her eyes shifted up to the snipers nest and Boone was standing there grimly. He saluted her, and she nodded before returned to him.

When she climbed the steps she sighed heavily, pulling the paper from her pocket. Rachel wearily pushed open the rusted door and he was waiting for her.

"That was fast," he commented and for a split second she was sure there was an accusation in his voice. Maybe it was her imagination and maybe it wasn't. hell, even she was having trouble believing what she'd happened upon in Jenny's safe.

"I didn't mean it to be. Apparently Jenny kept her evidence next to her scotch," She sighed and hand over a bottle and along with the damning paper.

Boone read it quickly, and then opened the bottle angrily, downing half the amber liquid.

"Bitch," he growled loudly.

"Do you feel better?" she asked seriously.

"I thought I would, but I don't" He looked down at his bottle and took another much smaller swig. He looked out over the wasteland and slumped down in his chair. Rachel did too, and when Manny appeared in the nest at dawn they left together. Manny nodded to them and Rachel nodded back. Boone ignored him.

The scavenger and sniper went back to his house and they drank.

"You know, Boone. I never thought I would find a mother." Rachel murmured a few hours later. "I don't remember my own. I was found wandering around outside of Goodsprings; did I ever tell you that?"

Boone nodded, she had once.

Rachel nodded but didn't go into what she remembered about her earliest years. "Carla," she said skipping to the end of her speech. "She brushed my hair and braided it in that fancy way. And she did make-up on me once. I liked that."

Boone made a noise, and it was almost like a chuckle. "Do you remember the first time you came to Novac?" he ask and she shook her head.

"Not really, I have bit and pieces but I was pretty sick," She said. She did know what had happened to her now, she just didn't remember it all herself.

"Sick?" he snorted, "You had a bloodstream full of poison and the infection in your thigh was so bad I was surprised you got to keep your leg."

She snorted in return and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "You're exaggerating." accept she was keenly aware of the knotted scar that spread across her thigh, and had a vague memorie of buzzing wings.

"I'm not. Carla insisted you stay with us, she dressed you wounds every few hours. And she read you at night until you fell asleep." He told the girl, taking both a drag and a swig. "That's when she first started talking about wanting a baby you know,"

Rachel starred; she wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't good with heavy emotion and neither was he. So they sat awkwardly for a long time, smoking and drink in each other's presences.

Finally Rachel stood, "Boone, I-"she sighed, "tomorrow morning I think it's time for me to head out."

"Getting restless?" he asked and she could tell he understood.

"Yeah, it's time. I'm not going west though. I'm not making my normal rounds this time. I need a change of scenery. I'm going east, I hear they have this thing that purifies water and they need guards for the caravans. If that doesn't pan out I'm sure I can find other work."

Boone nodded; he'd heard much the same thing.

"Will you come back?" he asked in a deadpan, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"I don't know," it was the most honest thing she could say. Because even if she ever wanted too and someday she might, these old broken roads were dangerous.

"Boone, come with me." She pleaded, wistfully.

"You'll be fine without me, and somebody has to protect the town," he told her, inhaling the last of his cigarette. Rachel knew without him having to say it; he wasn't ready to leave the last place he and Carla had lived.

As Rachel opened the door to leave, Boone looked up,

"Hey, if Carla and I couldn't ever meet our child…I'm glad you were the one to fill in that spot over the last couple years."

Rachel nodded and closed the door, not trusting her voice to be steady if she tried to stay anything. She wiped the corner on her damp eye with her thumb and shoved her shaky hands in her pocket, swinging in the direction of her room.


	5. Chapter 5

right silvery moonlight shown through her hotel room window as Rachel stuffed the last of her freshly maintained gear into her pack. She'd used her last day in town to sell off her salvage and make sure her weapons were in the best condition possible.

She strapped her leather armor on over her cloths and finally slung her bag over her shoulder, ready to leave Novac behind. Rachel ended up leaving the key on the bed; there wasn't anyone to return it too anyway.

When she opened the door she paused, hanging on the doorknob on the other side was a red first Recon beret. Rachel smiled a little to herself and slipped in on over her short hair. Boone must have left it there before his shift.

This early in the morning it was still a comfortable temperature. Rachel was glad she was going to get a couple decent hours of walking before the Mojave heat set in.

She was just about to pass the bloodstained ground were Jenny's body had been when she felt eyes drilling into her back. Rachel turned and looked up into the dinosaurs mouth where Boone was watching her. She saluted him and he nodded, saluting back. It wasn't the most touching goodbye but for them it was enough.

Rachel glared from behind her sunglasses, It was bright and hot and she was pretty sure she was weeks away from reaching the east coast. She stayed near the edge of the road, not wanting to make herself any more of a target, and lit a cigarette to pass the time.

She had surprised herself when she kept up smoking after she left Boone's company but she simply accepted the fact that she wasn't a social smoker anymore. In fact she wasn't sure she was much of a social anything anymore. People just weren't worth getting too close to. It just made a person more vulnerable to heartbreak. It really didn't seem worth trying to get to know the handful of decent people that wouldn't actually try to kill a girl when the opportunity presented itself.

Rachel kept one foot infront of the other and kept walking. Step after step, mile after mile.

She was sitting next to a small fire she'd built to fend off the nights chill when she'd heard gunfire not too far away. She was on her feet in an instance, kicking dirt over her fire with her boot.

Rachel crouched low with her rifle in hand. She moved towards the shots quickly, coming up over a hill crest and laying on her stomach to give a look at what was going on. A girl a little older then she was was fighting off a raider hunting party.

There were five raiders left, four dead on the ground. The girl was taking cover behind a jagged rock outcropping and her only back-up was a dog. Rachel gritted her teeth and hoped she wouldn't regret this, not everyone she'd tried to help in the wasteland had been appreciative.

She aimed her hunting rifle and fired, watching as the raider woman closest to the girl fell. She aimed again and fired, helping a psycho crazed man remove his head.

The girl tossed her gun aside and pulled up a pistol for her leg holster in her left hand while a combat knife with brass knuckles appeared in her left. It looked like the woman's assault rifle had jammed.

Each girl took down another raider and the dog killed the last.

There was a long moment of silence and Rachel watched as the girl called her dog. She lifted her head then, squinting up in Rachel's direction before she started to climb the hill.

Rachel sighed and got to her feet, rifle trained on the other girl's heart. Rachel didn't want to seem aggressive but she wasn't stupid either.

"Hey, I just wanted to say thank you," She called, hands in the air showing Rachel she wasn't planning on starting another fight.

Cautiously Rachel lowered her weapon, but she offered the stranger a smile all the same. "You're welcome, looked like you were a little pinned down."

"I was, damn gun jammed up again. And as good as he is, Dogmeat here can only do so much." She said, fondling the dog's ears affectionately.

Rachel raised an eyebrow at the dog's name but she didn't comment.

"Do you know what kind of work available out west?" She asked and Rachel thought.

"If you're up to a lot of travel you could try the Mojave Express, it's a courier company located in Primm."

"You wouldn't happen to know how far that is would you?" She asked and Rachel nodded, noticing the PipBoy on the girls arm.

"Yeah, I can program it in if you want," She offered.

"Sure," The girl grinned and she held out her arm.

While she fiddled with the dials Rachel asked, "You wouldn't know where I could find work in the DC area?"

"You could try a town called Megaton, it can be seen if you follow this road another week or so. From a distance it looks like a broken metal dome. If you don't have any luck there you should just find a working radio and listen to a guy named Three Dog. That chatty bastard is always full of news." She told Rachel, still smiling but much more wryly. "Oh and if you end up meeting Three Dog will you tell him you saw 101 heading west?"

Rachel nodded, not sure what it meant but filing it way in case she did meet this Three Dog guy.

Rachel finished with the Pipboy and then nodded, "Want me to look at your gun? I'm low on caps and good with guns and explosives,"

101 nodded and handed over the jammed rifle. Rachel looked it over and saw the problem, there was a piece that was broken and rusted out. It would be hard to jury-rig but she dug through her stash of spare parts, pulling out the one she needed. It took several minutes but finally she loaded the weapon gave a few experimental shots. The rest of the weapon was well cared for and Rachel had no doubt with the right part 101 could have fixed it herself.

"Here, it should be fine now."

101 nodded appreciably, pulling a cloth bag from the pocket of her duster and handing it over. "Thanks and here. I had some saved up from a few things I did for the Brotherhood of Steel. I figure you deserve it since you saved my life and by fix this have likely saved it a few more times in the weeks to come,"

By the weight Rachel knew it was more than enough to cover the cost of the repair, and so she didn't look inside. She just thanked the lone wanderer and they parted always. Rachel silently wished the other woman luck. And so did 101 even though there was no way Rachel could know that.

101 was good to her word, Rachel saw the strange dome like shape across the Wasteland a little over a week later. She was thankful for that, because she was in dire need of supplies. She'd run out of water yesterday and finished off her last Nuka-cola a few hours ago.

Rachel left the road and head for what she was sure was Megaton based on the description she had of the settlement. It was later in the day, maybe around four, when she was greeted by a battered protectron outside the gate.

"Please hold for threat level assessment," it told her in it's electronic voice, she stood there glaring at it. "Treat level…minimal. Open gates. Welcome to Megaton, Friendliest town around."

She looked up and saw a man with a gun holding a button as the gates opened. She nodded in his direction and he nodded back.

Rachel entered and looked around. The settlement was very large and her gut feeling was that it was actually a pretty safe place to live. The people going about their business weren't jumpy and many of them appeared to be unarmed. There weren't any old blood stains or evidence of fire damage either. Nice place.

A man approached and she instinctually put her hand on the pistol at her hip.

"No need for that," He told her kindly, "Names Lucas Simms, I'm the sheriff here."

Rachel nodded, relaxing.

"Seems like you've been out in the wastes awhile, if you want to know where anything is just ask, and don't let me catch you causing any trouble." There was a warning in his tone that she didn't miss and she nodded again.

"Actually," Rachel asked, offering a smile of her own. "Do you know if there is any work available in town? Or a place I can get a drink?"

Sims nodded, pointing. "For booze and work talk to Moriarty, but be careful with him, he's a real piece of work."

"Thanks, name's Rachel by the way,"

Sims nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hey, you any good with explosives kid?"

Rachel shrugged. She was tired, thirsty but also intrigued. "I know my way around,"

"Then maybe I have a job for you, see there's this bomb in the middle of town, damn thing is still live. See I need it deactivated quietly because there's some crazies that worship it. Somebody tried a couple years ago but didn't have the know-how."

"I might be able to take care of it," She told him, not really sure how she felt about staying in a town that could go up in a mushroom cloud of smoke at any moment.

"There are caps in it for you if you can get the job done tonight while the Followers of Atom are asleep." He told her and she nodded again, eyeing the bomb at the bottom of the hill.

"Well Sheriff, I'll take a look and if I can do it then you've got yourself a deal." She told him, reaching out and shaking his hand.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The rusted iron walkways creaked under her feet as she climbed to Moriarty's Saloon. Rachel didn't really want to be social but she did want to have some food and maybe a drink. She already had her plans for later that night and a saloon seemed like a decent enough place to kill time.

She opened the door and was hit with the scent of humans, stale cigarettes, and booze. Rachel took a seat on a scarred stool at the long bar and nodded to the ghoul wiping out glasses.

"A new face, what'll be smoothskin?" he asked her in a gravelly voice unique to ghouls. He was pleasant enough but Rachel noticed he stood back, out of arms reach.

"Scotch if you have it," She told him, meeting his eyes as she ran a weary hand through her hair. "And anything you can find for me to eat quick. I've been on the road for awhile."

He nodded and poured a glass of amber liquid before he set it in front of her. Rachel thanked him quietly and he retreated, presumably to find her some food.

Sipping her scotch Rachel sighed a little in pleasure as it burned the dust from her throat. She rubbed her eyes and looked up when the ghoul reappeared, setting a crunchy mutfruit on the counter infront of her.

"Thanks," she told him, the long weeks in the wasteland catching up with her now that she'd stopped moving in a place she felt relatively safe. She dug around in her pocket and came up with some caps. "How much?"

"Seven caps should cover," he muttered without meeting her eyes, going back to his cleaning.

Rachel brows snapped together, that only covered the drink. "I think I owe you more." she argued, looking between him, her drink and her dinner.

The ghoul stopped and looked up at her, "The fruit is mine, only thing I could find that didn't need to be cooked. Don't worry about it."

"Thank you, are you sure? I don't want to be takin' your dinner." she told him but he was shaking his head. Rachel made a silent vow to pay him back later.

Somebody down the bar growled, "Hey Gob, get you zombie ass over here with another beer!"

The ghoul sighed, muttering under his breath and plucked a beer off the shelf behind him, bringing it to a rough looking man in dark leather armor sitting two seats to her right.

The guy took a swig and growled again angrily, "This is piss warm!" he was outraged.

The ghoul, Gob, scowled. "Jericho you know damn well the refrigerator is broken, nothing I can do about it."

The drunken Jericho answered by throwing his beer bottle at the ghoul. Gob tried to dodge but yelp in pain when the bottle shattered on his right shoulder.

Rachel was off of her stool before she even had decided to act. She was still brimming with anger over, always a tripwire away from cold hard fury over Carla and didn't mind the idea of a good bar fight one bit.

"Hey!" she yelled at Jericho, who was also on his feet. He blinked several times, staring at the fiery stranger with molten gold eyes.

"What's a 'matter girl. Can't handle a little violence?" he taunted, fueling the fire burning inside of Rachel's gut. The ghoul had been nothing but nice since she'd walked in, he didn't deserve to have bottles thrown at him by some drunken jackass.

"Why don't you come over here and I'll show you how much violence I can handle," she challenged in a dangerous tone, rolling her shoulders.

Jericho grinned, dark intentions in his eyes, as he sauntered over to her. She was lean, only reaching 5'4" and while she  _was_  strong she didn't look like it.

When he was almost an arm's length away Rachel gritted her teeth, took two quick steps forward and punched him hard, throwing her body into it.

The big man yelped as she connected with his temple and he crumpled onto the surprisingly clean floor, unconscious.

"Whoa there lassy," the voice behind her was light and very Irish, "remind me not to piss you off, Gob drag his sorry ass outside."

Rachel turned to face a man who had spoken. "Yeah, well I've haven't had the best couple months, and he was being…rude."

"My names Colin Moriarty, This here is my place. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance miss…?" he tailed off as she shook his offered hand, answering his unasked question.

"Rachel,"

"Ah, Rachel dear, let me be the first to apologize for Jericho. The old bastard does have a nasty bite when he's angry at the bottle." he said, nodding towards the man on the floor.

"So do I," She ground her teeth, still pissed but making an effort to calm down. Rachel watched as Gob bent to drag the man out, seeing him wince when he put the weight on his shoulder. Moriarty didn't make a move to help, and she'd noticed the bar owner didn't seem to be at all concerned about his employee.

"Stop," she barked and the ghoul straightened up, startled. "I wanna throw his ass out myself, I like finishing what I start." And without waiting for an answer she grabbed the front of the man's shirt and dragged him to out the door. She dropped his body unceremoniously on the ground then turned on her heel walking back inside.

Rachel ignored the stares from the owner, ghoul and everyone else that had watched the fight. She just slid back onto her stool and picked up her drink. She heard the Irishman laugh and he left, going outside.

Gob came back around the bar and when the door was securely closed he stepped close to her. "Thanks," Gob murmured in a hushed tone, "but you didn't have to do that. I get worse beatings when I don't keep all the glasses wiped down."

She looked at him for a long moment and sighed. "I know I didn't have to. But assholes annoy me and that was fun."

Gob laughed and a woman came up behind Rachel, leaning on the counter to join the conversation.

"It was fun to watch too, you're a real fighter," she purred, "I'm Nova by the way."

Rachel nodded and pulled the knife from her boot, it didn't looked like there was any blood on it but she asked Gob to wipe it down anyway. He did and she began to peel her fruit.

"Colin didn't seem very concerned about you," she commented between bites.

Nova and Gob exchanged looks and then it was Nova ho replied, "Colin would rather make sure his guests are taken care of."

"You mean he's an old jackass who's more interested in the day's caps then the people under his employment," she drawled flatly.

"You're a smart girl," Gob said and he smiled just a little, "You ever need anything just ask alright. I'll help out if I can."

"I'm usually looking for work actually," Rachel commented.

Gob thought for a minute, "I have a letter I want to send to my mother, she lives in Underworld."

"Underworld?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, you must be new to DC, Underworld is a city of ghouls in the Museum of History." He told her. "If you think it's worth the cap Moira up at Caterside Supply might have a mapping device. She takes in all kinds of salvage. She'll be about to close now but see her in the morning."

Rachel nodded, "Alright, I'll take your letter to Underworld,"

"Are you sure? I don't have many caps," he warned, knowing she would probably back out.

"Why don't we just say you owe me a favor?" she countered.

"What kind of favor we talkin?"

Rachel smiled, "Just keep this barstool ready for me and keep your ears open for any other work around the area. I'll be nice to have a friend out here."

Gob regarded her and then nodded. "Alright, I'll go get it," and he left, heading upstairs.

Nova was still beside her, "that was real nice," she commented softly.

"Yeah," Rachel replied sarcastically, "I'm a nice person."

"You are," she insisted seriously, "you remind me of another girl who used to come through town every now and then. She was real nice too, driven though. You're driven too but in a different way. You're going to change our lives, I can tell."

Rachel laughed for the first time in what seemed liked years. "You've been hittin' the jet."

Nova winked and stepped back, "Only a little."

Gob reappeared and handed over a dirty but sealed letter. "Here, I wrote the address on the front."

Rachel looked down at the letter. It read:

_Carol_

_Carol's Place, Underworld_

_Museum of History, DC Mall Ruins_

Rachel nodded and put the letter in an inside pocket of her leather vest. "I'll go to see Moira about a mapping device in the morning, and then I'll come find you for directions."

Rachel finished her drink and then bought a bottle for later. Finally she got up and said goodnight to Nova and Gob, heading out onto the balcony overlook Megaton. It was late and dark, most of the people were asleep now.

She strolled inconspicuously down the ramps and when she reached the dirt she tucked herself into the shadows. Rachel waited for a moment for a man to pass by and then she made her way to the bomb in the center of town.

She inspected it closely in the moonlight and then opened its control panel. It was a standard per-war atom bomb and she set to work. Feeling along the wires with a small pen light clamped in her teeth Rachel found the one she was looking for and disconnected the charge. When it was safely disarmed she when the extra mile and yanked out the control chip and a bunch of wires. They sparked and then it was still.

Shoving the wires in her pocket she closed the panel door and looked around. Nobody was there. Half of her mouth tipped up in a self-satisfied smile and she headed up towards where Sims had pointed out his house earlier.

She wasn't at all surprised to see the sheriff waiting up for her in a chair outside his front door.

"It's done," she told him quietly, handing over the chip she removed.

Sims drew a deep breath, "I'll be damned, you really did it."

Rachel nodded, "With you church group none the wiser," she told him and he grinned.

"Here," her told her, "500 caps as promised. I heard night at the saloon you put Jericho on the ground,"

She nodded, wondering if he was going to escort her from town. Instead he laughed. "Good for you girl, just watch your back around him. I don't know how he's going to take get his ass knocked out,"

Rachel nodded, glad for the warning. "Sims, do you know where a girl could get some sleep around here?" she asked.

Sims pulled a sheet of paper from his duster, "As a matter a fact I do. See we don't just let anyone move into Megaton, most of the people here stay at the way house up the hill. But seeing as you saved all our asses I'm offering you the opportunity to have the empty house just over there," he pointed to a house not far from where they were standing.

Rachel was stunned. "A house?"

"If you want it, call it an added bonus," he added.

"I do, never had a house before," she told him taking the papers and the keys he handed to her. The smooth metal of the old skeleton key felt good in her hand. "Thank you Sheriff."

"You earned it kid," he told her, getting to his feet. "Now, I'm going to bed." he said firmly and went inside.

Rachel stood there for a minute, not quite sure if the key in her hand was real. After a minute and she didn't wake up Rachel picked her way to her new front door and looked down at the key. She inserted it in the door and had a little rush a pleasure as the lock clicked open.

Inside it was clean and the lights were on. A Mr. Handy floated into the living room and stopped infront of her. His scanned her, seeing the key and deed in her hands.

"Welcome home Madam, I'm Wadsworth. Your personal butler,"

"Hello," she said, surprised all over again. "Um…Wadsworth was is?" she ask politely.

"Yes Madam?"

"Is there a bed in here?" she asked, exhausted.

"Of course Madam, follow me," and he started up the stairs. He stopped by a door and she thanked him, telling him she would speak with him more in the morning. The Mr. Handy bid her a good night and floated back downstairs.

Rachel turned to the bed and smiled, setting her pack on the desk in the corner of room. She stripped off her armor and under clothes before pulling on her cleanest tank top, settling into the bed. She doubted anybody would get in past Wadsworth without her hearing, but she had taken the time to lock the bedroom door and put her gun within reach just in case.

A sigh escaped her lips and she finally fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

A gasp rushed air into her lungs as Rachel woke with a start. Another nightmare had rudely disrupted her dreamless sleep and she was glad she'd woken from the familiar scene early. Living in hell every night wasn't fun.

Rachel looked around at the unfamiliar walls with a stab of panic for a full five seconds and then began to remember the night before. She was in her own bed, in her very own house in Megaton.

"You've been in the DC area for something like forty-eight hours and you have a house," the whispered to herself, still in disbelief. "Hopefully that's an omen for the future."

Despite her nightmare she'd slept surprising well, and as she dressed she firmly decided that she wasn't going to give up this house for anything. It had been a long time, longer even then when she'd returned to Novac to find Carla missing, that she'd felt this well rested.

Wadsworth greater her at the bottom of the stairs, "Good Morning madam!" he was very chipper this morning.

"Good morning," She replied, looking him over. "So Wadsworth, what do you do exactly?" she asked, "I've never had a butler before."

"I perform all household chores; I am also programed with the latest fashions in hairstyles, information on Megaton and the surrounding area. I am programmed with a delightful humor array if I do say so myself, and if Madam is thirsty I am equip with air condensers and can provide purified water for you." He anwsered her promptly.

"Would you mind calling me Miss, or Rachel?" she asked "Madam makes me feel old,"

"Of course Miss Rachel," he said enthusiastically in his robotic voice and she smiled ever so softly in spite of herself.

"So you really can make purified water?"

Wadsworth began to make a humming noise, and then a compartment door opened in his front and he handed over a bottle of cold clean water. Rachel unscrewed the cap and took a sip. She had never tasted anything so fresh.

"Wadsworth!" she exclaimed, "I think you might be worth your weight in caps!"

"My exoskeleton is made of dense aluminum alloy, at its current market rate I am worth 1.83 times my weight in today's bottle cap value." He told her.

Rachel raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Was that your humor array at work?"

"Yes Miss Rachel,"

She chuckled and moved towards the door, "I'm going to talk to Moira, I'll be back and then I'm going away for a while." She told him. She never liked talking to robots like they were stupid. Most of them had advanced A.I systems and by extent she figured they had something pretty close to feelings.

Rachel left, heading up the walkway to Craterside Supply. She pushed through the steel door and a bubbly little read head greater her.

"Why hello there, it's so nice to have a new face in town. Can I interest you in a copy of my new book, The Wasteland Survival Guide?"

"Um… sure I guess, but I actually came in for something specific. Gob said you might have a mapping device lying around. I'm new to the area and have a job heading into the city,"

Moira nodded enthusiastically, "I have something better!" She disappeared into another room and Rachel heard her go up the stairs. She wondered if she should follow but the look on the face of the guard leaning on the wall told her to stay put.

While Rachel waited she browsed Moira's shop. The woman had a beautiful sniper rifle hanging on the wall behind the counter. Rachel could see herself holding it, but she knew a weapon that fine would be way more the then she had.

A horribly loud crash sounded upstairs and the guard leaned around the doorway, looking up.

"I'm okay," Moira called from upstairs and he settled back against the wall. It seemed like he was used the red head falling and crashing. Rachel heard her bang around a little more before finally coming back downstairs.

"Here we go, I found it." She told the other girl proudly, holding up a familiar looking contraption.

"Is that a Pipboy?" Rachel asked, wondering how in the world Moira would have gotten one.

"Yeah, it's a Vault-tech Pipboy 3001," Moira told her proudly and Rachel's brows knit together.

"I thought the last model made was the 3000?" Rachel asked and Moira waved her hand dismissively.

"Yeah well this used to be a 3000, but after I improved it I didn't think it qualified at a 3000 anymore," She explained,

Rachel just nodded, it made sense to her.

"Here, hold out your arm," Moira told her, and Rachel obeyed. "See, I refurbished the Pipboy itself and then I added a couple perks. It has a temperature gage and a communication device," She said, securing the old world tech to Rachel's arm and then handing her four devices. They looked like wrist watches, but instead of the clock face there was a tiny speaker.

"See, you press the button on the right to turn them on and off and the button on the left to speak. They only work if you're within a mile or two of each other though."

"That's amazing Moira!" Rachel told the erratic woman and Moira blushed at the praise.

"How much?"

"Oh, I like you. I'll give you the Pipboy and the book for say…600caps?" she asked and Rachel thought that it had to be low for what she was getting.

Rachel agreed and added Ammo, rad-away, med-x and stimpaks to her order, silently grateful for the Caps the strange wanderer had given her.

After getting supplied Rachel headed up to the saloon. She walked right up to Gob, thankful the ghouls horrible employer, and she suspected  _Master_ , wasn't around. The friendly Ghoul showed her how to access the map on her Pipboy and then set a location marker for Underworld.

Rachel thanked him for his help and then headed back to her house to reorganize her pack. It didn't take long and when she was about to walk out the door Wadsworth met her there. He bid her a safe journey and handed her a smaller cloth bag, explaining that he'd pack her a actually laughed, and gave the robot an affectionate hug around his domed head before heading back out into the waste.

In just a couple hours Rachel found herself on a ridge overlooking the parking lot of an ancient Super-Duper Mart. The smell of death had filled her almost five minutes before she gotten eyes on the parking lot below.

She sighed _;I should probably move around_ , she thought while marking the old store's location on her new device. Rachel knew she should skirt the lot and keep going but on the other hand there might been some decent salvage down among the sun baked corpses. Decisions. Decisions.

Rachel stayed where she was and watched for a few long minutes just to see if there was anything there to see. When there was no movement down on the cracked pavement, or any sound either, she made her choice.

Rachel crept down the hill and had a careful look around. She planned to pick the bodies for anything of value and then she would move on. It wasn't like it was out of her way and in post-apocalyptia Waste-not-want-not.

Rachel carefully made her way down to the open ground, stealthy,listening for any sign of danger.

She peeked around the corner of the building and gasped with wide eyes when saw looked over the part of the lot that had been hidden by the building. The bodies of raiders lay everywhere. It looked like the whole camp of them had been ripped to shreds. On the furthest side of the lot she could see bodies of a different kind. Three large Deathclaw bodies lay baking in the sun. Then her eyes fell on the bodies of smaller deathclaws littering the ground.

Rachel was frozen, her sharp eyes scanning the area slowly for any of the deadly beasts that might be still alive. Seeing nothing she cautiously made her way towards the beasts, curiosity out weighing self preservation.

Looking around she spotted the head of an adolescent deathclaw mounted over the door of the supermarket. The scene around her started whispering a story to her. And as she took in more of the carnage it could have been yelling in her ear what had happened here.

It looked like a raider had taken down a younger deathclaw. Bringing it's head back home as his trophy.

Deathclaws were fiercely territorial, and pack oriented. The head over the door couldn't be from a beast more than two years old. It was young, still attached to it's mother, just a teenager.

Like any devoted mother she'd tracked her baby's killer to here and ever-loyal, many of her children had followed her.

Very suddenly Rachel caught movement out of the corner of her eye. The olive skinned females head lolled to the side.

Heart thundering in her chest Rachel had her gun up and she was backing away. The females head twitched again and a tiny little deathclaw crawled out from under it's mother.

glancing around quickly she could see it was half the size of the other babies around her.

 _The poor thing_ , she thought with pity. Being the runt of the mama's brood she probably ignored the little thing. Pushing it away and leaving it behind. In the wasteland only the strong survive. And it's mother's cold shoulder is what very likely had kept it alive. Arriving only after the fight had stopped.

It spotted her and she readied her rifle. Even the runty little deathclaws were deadly to humans. Needless to say the human species was no longer on the top of the food chain.

The little guy jumped up on his mother bloated body and made a noise in Rachel's direction. She imagined it was supposed to be a roar, but it was more like a screech.

"Awe," she cooed, lowering her gun. It was still in her hands though. She took three steps back, trying to show she meant no harm. And as she did it, she couldn't believe she meant it no harm. The thing about baby deathclaws is that they grow up. Still…If she left she knew it would undoubtedly starve to death, problem solved without wasting a bullet. Of course starving to death was a slow and terrible way to die.

Rachel got to one knee, setting her gun on the ground rather than sling it back over her shoulder, easier to get to if this turned out to be a bad idea.

The little deathclaw stepped off the mother's body and cautiously crept in her direction, coming to a car twenty feet for the human and peering around the corner curiously. Rachel kept her eyes on him has she felt around in her food pack, her fingers bumping against a lump of mole rat meat wrapped in a waterproof oiled cloth.

She brought it out and slowly unwrapped it, careful not to make any sudden movements. The smell of fresh meat got the babies attention and it stepped out from behind the car, watching her. It cocked it's head from left to right, skittering back like it was a grenade when she tossed the meat in his direction.

A sensible survivalist voice in the back of her mind that sounded an awfully lot like Boone groaned _. "Don't feed it!"_

She hushed that part of her mind, watching in fascination has the little deathclaw crept forward, looking quickly from the meat to Rachel herself and back. She stayed absolutely still. He sniffed the meat then licked it.

Apparently it was to his liking because he fell on it like a starving man. And he probably was. From what she knew deathclaw ate fresh meat, leaving the rotting corpses that covered the capitol wasteland at any given time for the Yao Guai and other scavengers of the waste.

Rachel stood slowly, bringing her gun up with her and she started to back away, feeling like she'd done her good deed for the day _. Their little guy, live one more day_. Half of her wished she could help it more, the other half reminded her that if it survived it was going to get bigger,  _a lot bigger_.

She turned around at the edge of the lot, checking her map and then heading in the direction of the metro that's supposed to let out in the city.

She walked for another hour, give or take and found the metro. She had just put her foot on the first stair when she heard a pattering noise. She spun, rifle in her hands and faltered. It was the little deathclaw running towards her.

It spotted her looking at him and he hit the brakes, bracing his legs at a forward angle to stop. Unfortunately he didn't seem to know how to gage distance and speed yet, and ended tumbling tail over head to land sprawled just six feet from her dusty boots.

"Oh… _shit_ ," she muttered to herself. As he carefully got to his feet, shaking the dirt from his hide. He looked at Rachel and squeaked.

"No," she told him firmly, "I shouldn't have fed you in the first place, I know, but I can't give you all my food either, I don't have that much."

He cocked his little reptile head at her and groaned, taking two steps forward. Rachel took a single step back. "No," she told it again. "Go," and she pointed back out into the wasteland. "Go back to where ever it is you came from, I can't have a deathclaw in tow.

It stepped up to her and in a quick movement butted it's head against her leg, rubbing up against her in what she could only describe as affection. Rachel was on the edge of melting but she knew she had to be firm even if what was happening was amazing. She reached in her bag and pulled out some Brahmin jerky, waving it in the air to get his attention.

He looked up and yipped, tongue lolling out like a dog. She almost laughed,  _almost_.

Rachel moved down the steps and opened the gate to the tunnel behind her, then she tossed the jerky up over the steps.

The deathclaw scampered after it and she slipped into the metro, closing the gate behind her.

 _Sorry Claws, but I can't be your new mama_ , She thought as she walked quickly into the darkness, gun securely in her hand.


	8. Chapter 8

The screech of metal bending sounded horribly loud in the dead silent Metro Tunnel. Rachel stoped dead in her tracks, instinctively dropping to one knee. She'd only been in the tunnel for a few minutes but already no light from outside penetrated.

She heard the echo of footsteps and then groaned as she recognized the quick patter and click of sharp claws on old concert.

She turned and sure enough, Claws was running in her direction, nose up like he was following her scent. Suddenly she realized he was. Deathclaws didn't have great eyesight on the best day.

When he was even with her she saw his shape turn sharply and he smacked into her, the force knocking her on her ass.

He nosed her elbow and inhaled deeply, giving a little yip that echoed off the walls. She had an insane moment where she thought the yip sounded prideful.

"shh," she hissed, hearing a grunt from further down in the tunnel.

"Claws. No. Go-" a hiss from the darkness cut her off and the unmistakable sound of a feral ghoul hit her ears.

Rachel turned to face the direction of the sound, her breath caught when she heard it hiss louder, and then the frantic patter of its charging feet. She brought her gun up the fired, the shots illuminating the tunnel like a strobe light.

The fell to the ground after three bullets embedded in its foul body. Rachel didn't have time to celebrate because the echo of gunfire brought the others. They were always in packs…or swarms might be the better word.

Knowing her rifle would be hard to aim and to slow to reload in the darkness she stuck with her SMG. The strobe light from her gun giving her a horrible view of the four other feral ghouls charging her way.

Claw was pressed tightly to the back of her legs, shriving with fear. _Top of the food chain my ass,_ Rachel thought while grinding her teeth together.

Three fell before getting within arm's reach of her, the four charged past it fallen counterparts and swiped viciously at her with both hands.

She cried out as three of its filthy fingers caught her throat; she stumbled back, falling over her deathclaw. Her SMG went skittering across the floor and she scrambled after it, the feral advancing. Rachel looked up at the monster, reaching back desperately for her weapon.

Claws was suddenly there between her the newest threat to her life, sinking his teeth into the feral's ankle. It screeched and Rachel used it's distraction to lung for her gun. She rolled and aimed while still on her back, sending four rounds into its head with a snarl of her own.

The corpse crumpled onto the floor and Claws shook it's leg.

Rachel laid her gun over her stomach, panting lightly.

"Nice of you to jump in," she told the deathclaw with exasperation, "I was starting to think you were going to run away from one lone ghoul,"

Claws looked at her and then sniffed the Feral, he sneezed and Rachel laughed, getting to her feet. "You know, maybe we can make this work, since you seem dead set of fallowing me around anyway. I mean, if you can keep me from getting eaten, that could be helpful."

Claws was still looking over the ghoul, and when he licked the monsters bloody ankle she snapped her fingers, "Hey," she snapped, "Don't eat that."

He snorted but fell into place at her heel when she started walking. Rachel shook her head, how had she managed this.

Darkness had settled over the capital wasteland and the golden eyed scavenger was glad for small favors as they exited the metro.

Rachel scanned the mall and checked her Pipboy, Underworld was right up ahead. There didn't seem to be any dangers lurking close by so she holstered her gun, taking a breath of cool fresh air.

A soft gurgle noise brought her attention down to Claws and she bit her lower lip. There was no way in hell she could bring him into Underworld. She looked around and spotted a rusted dumpster set against the wall of the closet building.

Lifting the lid she was happy to find it empty. She paused for a moment and then picked him up. He looked at her with his little head cocked but made no move to free himself. She let out the breath she'd been holding and set the little beast inside the relativesafety of the dumpster.

He seemed confused so she put her finger to her lips, hushing him. Rachel dug in her pack and pulled out her blanket, making Claws a nest. Next she gave him a little bowl of water and the last of her mole rat meat.

"I'll be back in the morning," she whispered, "I promise,"

Claws settled into the blanket and she closed the lid, waiting for a few second to see if he was going to freak out. He seemed to be fine.

With a sigh of relief she slung her pack over her shoulder and turned towards Underworld.

In only a couple minutes she was standing in front of the building, a female century coming towards her.

"What do you want tourist?" she rasped,

"I'm here to deliver a letter," Rachel told the woman, "To Carol."

The ghoul lowered her gun and then slung it over her shoulder. She nodded and lit a cigarette. "Go ahead in Tourist,"

Rachel nodded and opened the doors. Her eye widen when she saw the skeleton of a massive animal on the right side of the room, and another creature with a long nose covered in fur on the left.

The crowd of people around a ghoul on a platform was the second thing to get her attention. He seemed to be selling Aqua Pura, saying it could cure ghoulisum, bring back skin and hair. Rachel thought it sound a little to good to be true.

She touched the nearest ghouls shoulder and when he turned to look at her she asked politely, "Excuse me, do you know where I can find a woman named Carol? Of Carol's Place?"

He nodded and gave her directions. She thanked him quietly and let him get back to the show. Rachel headed through a second pair of doors and stopped to marvel at the city of ghouls.

She took the steps on the left and entered yet another pair of doors, stopping just inside a bar. The door was still held open by her hand and she glanced at the sign. The Ninth Circle.

She shrugged and let the door close behind her, thinking a quick drink to wet her parched throat would be a good idea.

A ghoul in a suit greeted her with an oily smiled as she stepped up to the bar. "Don't you look absolutely… _miserable_." He told her and she got the feeling he was  _trying_  to sound concerned. "Pull up a stool, lay down a few caps and tell uncle Ahzrukhal all about it."

Rachel lifted one sleek eyebrow. "Scotch," she told him, laying her caps on the bar.

He poured the drink and she took it, leaving the bar in favor for a table in the corner where she could see most of the room. The only other person near the chair she'd zeroed in on was a massive ghoul leaning against the wall.

She eyed him and his own grey blue eyes stared back but he didn't say that she couldn't sit where she'd intended. She pulled out the chair and sat, leaning back with the big man on her right and the door on her left. Rachel sipped her scotch and glanced at him. She could feel his presence pressing on her as if it were a physical thing.

This was an alpha male, she could sense it as clearly as she could see the cracks in the wall or smell the lingering cigarette smoke in the air. Ferocity surged off from him, making the air around him buzz like it was electrified and even with his armor on she could see the bulge of hard muscles.

She nodded in his direction, show her respect for the other wasteland survivalist and after what seemed like a full minute he gave the slightest nod back.

Charon wasn't usually interested by the patrons in the bar unless they were causing trouble, but the little smoothskin sitting next to him was different. He kept his face stone but he gave her credit for entering his space, most strangers stayed clear of him. Most of the people who knew him did too, he was fine with that.

He'd seen her when she'd walked in, like he saw everybody, gauging the possible treat level they could be. She was thin, short, but he didn't miss the sleek muscle peeking out under worn but well cared for armor. Neither had he missed her equally well cared for weapons, or the thin scratches on her pale throat that told of a recent fight.

Her red hair and strange golden eyes reminded him of a good campfire, it was the most he'd thought of anyone in a positive way in over a hundred years.

Charon realized he was still watching her when she nodded in his direction. That was a surprise too, being under Ahzrukhal's thumb like he was Charon hadn't had anyone show him respect without fear in a very long time. Grudgingly he nodded back and then forced his gaze back over the sullen patrons on The Ninth Circle.

Rachel felt his eyes leave her and she sipped her Scotch. The liquid burning down her throat in a pleasant way. She glanced over her shoulder, up at the big ghoul that was dominating the room.

"So, come here often?" she asked, having nothing better to do.

His eyes flicked down to her like he was surprised she was had spoken and he growled, "Talk to Ahzrukhal,"

"I already did," Rachel sneered. "He seems like a creeper, I'd rather talk to you." she cocked one sleek eyebrow.

This time the ghoul didn't answer, he just stared ahead. She wanted to believe that there had been a flicker of amusement in his milky eyes but she couldn't be sure.

Rachel sighed, downing the rest of her scotch and standing. She wondered what was turning him off to a simple conversation with her but she let it go for now. She still had a job to do. She could come back later and try again. She liked a challenge.


	9. Chapter 9

The ghoul behind the counter of Carol's Place smiled when Rachel walked through the door. The woman had a few locks of blonde hair clinging defiantly to her scalp and she was even now pretty Rachel noted as she nodded at her.

"Well hello dear, it's so good to see a new face, we get so few new visitors in Underworld." The woman cooed, Rachel had an instant stab of liking for the good natured ghoullette.

"Hello Ma'am, I'm looking for Carol? Am I right in assuming that's you?" Rachel asked with a pleasant nod.

"Why yes, what can I do for you?" She tilted her head and for a second she looked worried, wondering what on earth this stranger could want with her.

Rachel reached into the front of her worn armor and pulled out the letter she'd tucked safely into a hidden pocket there. She handed it over to the woman saying, "Delivery Ma'am; from a man in Megaton named Gob,"

Carol gave a little start of surprise as she took the letter carefully, her face lighting up when she recognized the hand writing on the front. "Gob! You've met him, where is he? Is he safe? He's my son you see. Well not really, we ghouls aren't built that way, but I love him like he was my own."

Rachel laughed softly freeing more at ease then she had these last few months. Rachel's laugh was still a chocked sound from lack of use but Carol was nice enough not to comment on it if she'd noticed. "When I saw him he appeared to be fine, I'm sure he's said a lot in that letter."

Even though the skin on the woman's face was leathery and dry Rachel could have sworn she was blushing. "Oh yes! Of course, and here I am babbling away like a fool. please stay here tonight, free of charge and Let me get you a few caps for coming all this way."

Rachel almost let here go, but something about the way she'd lit up when she'd heard her adopted sons name, the way Carol had made her feel like she'd done something truly good, she decided to tell a little fib. "You don't have too Carol, Gob already paid me for the trip out here."

"Are you sure Dear?" Carol asked, clearly willing to pay her anyway but Rachel still shook her head. "Well okay, but please still accept a bed,"

"Alright, thank you. It's always nice to have a safe place to sleep at night."

Carol nodded, "Oh yes, you don't have to worry about an attack here at all, nobody dangerous has every gotten past the main room into the actual city."

Rachel blinked twice; she'd heard that Underworld had been established since the Great War. "Really? Not ever?"

"No, I've been here since the bombs dropped you see, and every once in awhile a group of raiders or slavers manages to get past the super mutants to attack but we have Quinn and Willow and the robot Cerberus. And then if it gets really bad Ahzrukhal sends Charon out to help."

"Charon? Is that the man standing in the corner of The Ninth Circle? I tried to shoot the shit with him but he didn't seem very interested in conversation." She told the sweet ghoulette, the big ghoul on the other side of the museum coming back into her thoughts.

"Yes well he doesn't really talk to anyone, Ahzrukhal doesn't like when he talks to patrons, not that he would if he could mind you," Carol told her while Rachel raised her eyebrows.

"So he works for Ahzrukhal?" She asked getting the feeling that that wasn't quite the case, what kind of boss forbids you to speak? Her mind brought up a picture of Moriarty and she grimaced.

"I think it's a good deal more than employment, dear. I don't know the details but the poor boy has been in that bar for, well it has to be close to seventy years now," She looked like she really did feel sorry for Charon and Rachel bit the inside of her lip, thinking.

Carol must have caught the wheels turning behind her golden eyes because she took Rachel's hand, guiding her into a chair next to a little table. "Be careful, Ahzrukhal not a nice man, I don't want you to getting into any trouble. Here, why don't I get you a nice bowl of noodles?"

Rachel nodded, accepting the offer as she dropped her pack on the floor against her left leg. She thought about what Carol had said, flashes of legionary soldiers and people on slaves blocks running through her mind along with everything else.

Fury started to build in the pit of her stomach and she forced it down into a tight little ball, hidden deep within herself. The ball had been there since Novac. Rachel doing her Damnedest to keep it contained.

It was with no small amount of embarrassment that Rachel realized how foolish she'd been. Even though she'd come so far east to escape the cruelty of the legion she'd been childishly naive. Slavers were everywhere in the wasteland. It did seem to be less tolerated here on the eastern coast, or perhaps maybe they just had less organized slavers, either way it was still certainly apart of life in the Capitol Wasteland.

Carol set a steaming bowl in front of her and then retreated with Gobs letter tucked close to her heart. Rachel sighed and dug in. The hot food did help to ease her anger. Still her mind wandered around an idea to get the big ghoul his freedom. Despite Carol's warning she couldn't help think how having a body guard in this unfamiliar part to the apocalyptic world might not be a shabby idea.

If Charon was a slave then he'd have a deed or something. Something like the bill of sale Jenny had gotten for Carla. If she could talk Ahzrukhal into selling Charon to her then she could free him without any gun play. Rachel liked Underworld and really didn't want to go in guns blazing and end up getting banned.

That and scamming the slippery ass running the bar wrap out of his slave would be amazingly satisfying. A long time ago Rachel had learned that hot lead wasn't to only effective way to handle a tricky situation in the wastes. As the only saying goes, she'd catch more flies with honey.

By the end of the night he won't know what hit him.

Rachel knew she'd need to do a little recon first. Going in blind wouldn't accomplish anything. After doing a little target research though she should be able to walking with her bag of caps and do a little covert-ops. If very thing when well she'd be setting the bouncer free by sun up.

A predatory smile broke out over her face as she continued eating. Rachel finished by drinking the broth left from the bowl and leaving a few Caps on the table to thank Carol for her hospitality. She stood, slinging her pack over her shoulder as she turned and ran smack into a another female ghoul.

"Oh shit!" Rachel stammered out, taking a few steps back and discreetly putting a hand near her pistol. The new woman either didn't notice or didn't care.

"It's fine. Listen, that woman you were talking to. Stay away from her. She's mine," the woman growled.

Rachel put up her hands in an I-mean-you-no-harm gesture and shook her head, "Hey I like Carol, she's a lovely woman, but I'm not interested in playing catch the cutie with her. I promise."

She regarded Rachel for a long moment then sighed, "Fine smoothskin, I'm Greta. And if you ever try anything funny, I'll kill you." She threatened smoothly, keeping her face sweet so that Carol or anyone else who walked in wouldn't know what was really going on.

Rachel matched her expression, though hers was a bit more real. For some reason she found herself liking Carol's Prickly girlfriend almost as much as Carol herself. "Rachel, And I promise if you come after me I'll kill you right back."

Greta nodded, walking away without another word.

Sighing Rachel left the hotel and headed back out of Underworld. She wanted to see if she couldn't get the guard to share some secrets over a smoke and a drink. Going on the correct assumption that Willow was a seasoned merc, she was sure the sentry enjoyed both, and sure as hell spent more time in the Ninth then Carol.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Leaning against the stone wall to the left of the door of the Museum of History Rachel dug a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket and tapped the pack on her palm.

Willow wandered over to the little red head and, having nothing better to do, she leaned against the same wall next to the smoothskin. Rachel silently offered over a cigarette that Willow gladly accepted, followed by the light the girl held out.

Rachel popped her own cigarette into the open flame of her lighter and pulled, sighing pleasantly as she blew the smooth smoke out through her nose. They there together in a comfortable silence for a moment, both Willow and Rachel looked out over the mall.

She took another drag and it was Rachel who spoke first. "So, anythin' exciting happenin'?"

"Not really, those Brotherhood assholes take the occasional pot shot at me but their aim is terrible." Willow took another drag of her own cigarette and added, "Thanks for this thing," she held up the smoke, "I ran out this morning."

"No problem, I'm bored anyway. I tried to have a drink in The Ninth Circle, but the owner's a creep and the only other person in there not entirely cocked was the bouncer. He didn't seem interested in chatting either."

Willow snorted, "That would be Charon, Ahzrukhal keeps him on a leash so short it's a wander he hasn't hung himself with it."

"You'd think he'd say fuck it and quit," Rachel mused, flicking ash to the ground.

"He can't, Ahzrukhal mentioned a contract a couple times when he first got ahold of Charon. Makes him loyal to the holder, I don't know the detail though." Willow took a final drag and flicked her butt off into a nearby pile of rubble.

" _Hmm_ ," Rachel mused and Willow raised the reminisce of an eyebrow, "What are you thinking Smoothskin?"

"I'm thinking I've got some caps saved up and I could use a bodyguard, I'm new to the area and all that." She told the sentry and the ghoulette laughed.

"Good luck with that tourist," she snorted, than thought for a second before she spoke again, "You're alright,  _for a human_. If you do manage to get him off that wall loosen it leash yeah?"

"Yeah," She agreed, turning to head back inside after flicking her own spent cigarette to the ground.

As Rachel left Willow shook her head, "Hope that kid knows what she doing, hope she's as alright as she seems."

Rachel headed into the decrepit rotunda bathroom before going back into Underworld. She looked in the cracked mirror, wicked eyes looking back as she worked out the details of the plan in her mind. So Charon was a slave and he did have a contract.

She unbuckled her armor, setting it on a sink to the right. Rachel striped out of her dirty, stained white tank top and used a rag to clean the dirt from her skin. Next she pulled a clean-ish sleeveless black V-neck top that fit snuggly to her curves.

She shimmied out of her ripped and dirt streaked pants, switching them from a pair of tight tan cargos. The shirt wasn't long enough to reach the low waistline of her pants, leaving a two and a half inch swath of exposed waist. It showed off a bit of the black vine tattoo crawling from her right hip, wrapping around her body to blossom black lily like flowers on her left shoulder blade.

She checked to make sure her boot knife was securely hidden before stowing her armor in her pack along with her dirty cloths. She looked at her Pipboy and shrugged, she didn't actually know how to take if off and besides, him thinking she was recently out of a vault might work in her advantage. It might make her seem more naive, less threatening.

Flipping a side pocket of her pack open Rachel pulled out an eye pencil she'd found in a crumbling gas station. There was only about an inch left to it so she only used it for special occasions. Rescuing a slave with a honey trap was most certainly a special occasion. Rachel gave each eyelid a dark line right behind her eyelashes, blinking and check it's even-ness before putting it away.

Rachel shook the dust out of her red hair and wet her hands in the water, she frowned as the Pipboy on her arm started to tick, warning of the radiation she was absorbing. She turned the knob to lower the volume and promised herself to take some Radway later.

She used her wet hands to spike out the ends of her hair and shook it again, smiling at the thousand little spikes sweeping away from her head. For a minute the girl thought about putting her beret back on but stowed it in her pack instead. She didn't want to give her target any reminder that she was an experienced wastelander and dangerous.

Rachel finally pulled her modified 9mm pistol out of her bag, it was beautiful and had Maria engraved into the pearl handle in scrawling letters. She thrust Maria into the special holster attached to her leg, the barrel extended just on inch over her boot and was easily hidden under the wide bottoms of her cargos.

Rachel inspected her reflection in the grimy mirror, nodding in satisfaction. She slung her pack over her shoulder, strolling in the direction of The Ninth with her bag of caps tucked into a pouch on her leg.

Rachel sauntered through the concourse, the corner of her mouth ticking up as a few heads turned to watch her walk by and a couple men made appreciating sounds. Of course there were also a few whispers about  _uppity fucking smoothskins_  but that didn't bother her at all as she climbed the stairs.

Charon grumbled under his breath, the patrons tonight were pathetically dead to the world and it didn't look like he would need to toss anyone out on their sorry ass. The thought was incredibly depressing, maybe if he was lucky patchwork would come in later and cause a scene.

The only other time he got to move off the dammed wall was the few short hours the bar was closed and he was allowed to sleep on the floor, tucked into a far corner.  _Because somebody needed to guard the bar after closing_. Ahzrukhal claimed with that nasty smirk on his ugly mug.

Charon shifted his weight from one foot to the other and glared at the drunks in the bar.  _Fucking well behaved dead beats, it's been to fucking long since those Talon assholes tried to attack._

The door opened quietly, Charon's eyes flicking in the direction of the movement. His breath caught in his throat for a full second when the smoothskin strode in, tight clothes and fiery hair a stark contrast to her pale skin. She'd been fresh from the ruins when he's seen her earlier, apparently she'd found a place to clean up.

Her eyes swept the room and landed on him, the look she gave him ratcheted her threat level up several steps from the low rank he'd given her before. He growled, not liking the way she'd caught his, and every other person in the rooms, attention.

She went to the bar, his employers eyes fixated on the girl exposed chest. Charon growled again but stayed where he was. He was under strict orders to stay put unless Ahzrukhal verbally called. Besides, dressed like that the girl was in more danger then his employer was.

He tightened his arms a crossed his chest and shifted his weight back from one foot to the other, very purposely avoiding looking at her. It was going to be a long ass night.

Rachel scanned the room as she slipped into The Ninth Circle, giving the bounce a wolf's grin when their eyes met. He'd scowled at her and she had to bite back a chuckle, privately glad she was about to play her game with his boss. Rachel got the feeling Charon would be much harder influence. She stepped up to the bar and slid onto a bar stool, twisting slightly so she could cross her legs and as she smiled up at the man behind the counter.

"Well  _hello_ ," Ahzrukhal purred, leaning down infront of her. "My, my don't you look lovely,"

Rachel sweetened her smile, idly reaching up to play with a lock of her hair, "You're just saying that, all I did was find a sink I could freshen up with."

"You don't realize your own strength then, is there something I can get for you? Scotch is your beverage of choice I believe?" he smirked at her, Rachel not missing the way his eye kept flicking down.

"Scotch would be lovely," she giggled, it sounded fake in her ears and she scolded herself for being so out of practice but the man was eating it up. "I finished my last bottle just a few minutes ago and it's far too early to not have anymore."

Ahzrukhal's smirk broke into a full on grin as Rachel smiled back. She kept the flirtatious look locked on her face as he poured the amber liquid into a glass,  _this is going to be too easy_ , "Thank you,"

"So what is it that brings you to Underworld?" he asked, clearly not intending to leave her.  _Hook._  She thought, delighted it was going so smoothly.

"A courier job, I was hired to deliver a letter." She lifted her glass, letting half slide down her throat.

"Oh? Might I ask to who?" he refilled her glass and poured one for himself as she giggled again, shaking her head slowly back and forth.

"No, I operate with a certain  _discretion_ , I used to also operate with a certain speed but I'm afraid I'm new to this side of the Wasteland, I'm from New Vegas you see."

"New Vegas?" he asked, impressed, "That's a long way to come, did you travel alone?" he asked.

She took another long swig of scotch and nodded, "Yes, but I have to admit something to you, and I hope you think less of me for it."

"Oh I'm sure I won't my dear, what is it? I promise I won't think anything bad about your pretty face." his gaze was turning hungry and she supposed she was getting points for being so friendly with a ghoul. Personal she didn't have anything against most ghouls, although this one was making her skin crawl.  _Line._

"A little birdy told me that your bouncer in the corner might be just man I need for a guide. Perhaps even occasional protection, I don't suppose you would be willing part with him?" she asked and he laughed, greed snaking into his eye along with the desire she already saw there.

"Charon is a valuable employee with a special contract that makes him unable to disobey my commands. He can't bother me with that pesky sense of morality so many people are affect with these days. He is loyal to me exclusively; as you can imagine that makes him incredibly valuable. Just what did you have in mind to trade?"

She swirled her glasses and sipped it, thinking.  _So he is a special kind of slave. That's intresting. What would make him unable to disobey, fear? That seems unlikely, the guy is huge._

" _Oh_  ...one thousand caps?"

"I paid quiet a good deal more and I won't be able to replace him, that being said a single thousand caps does sound low, don't you think?" he raised an eyebrow and almost drained his glass.

Rachel looked up at him from under her lashes, idly sliding one finger along the neckline of her tight shirt like she was thinking. His eye tracked the movement.

"I'm sure we can think of… _something_  on top of the caps, don't you?"She lifted the finger, brushing a few stray locks of hair from her eyes, letting them fall right back where they had been.

Ahzrukhal took the bait, reaching a cross the bar and tucking the strands behind her ear. "Perhaps," He offered, licking his lips, "we can go somewhere a bit more  _private_  to discuss the details of what that might be?" _Sinker._

Rachel tipped her glass up and drained it, smiling prettily at him, "My thoughts exactly."

She slid from her barstool as Ahzrukhal grinned; leading her through a door that led to the room that served as both his office and bedroom.

Rachel kept her smile in place as he pulled another bottle of scotch out of a cabinet and pulled out the cork, offering it to her. She took it and tipped the bottle up, but she didn't drink. She was starting to get buzzed and knew it was time to start faking.

He grinned; not realizing that she hadn't pulled any liquor from the bottle. He took it back when she offered it and he plopped down on the bed, patting the place next to him.

She moved to stand between his legs instead, needing to stay in control of the situation, "Have you settled on some agreeable terms for the contract? I want to make sure I can get back Underworld alive."

With the thought of having her not just now but the next time she returned planted firmly in his mind he nodded, "Of course my dear, I think a thousand caps and a night or two with you is more than enough." he chuckled when she laughed softly.

"I'm glad you think my body it worth so much," she moved forward again, leaning toward him and taking his tie in her left hand, putting her right hand one his thigh. Ahzrukhal leaned back to give her room to come up onto the bed.

Rachel kept her left leg planted on the floor between his knees and slid her right leg up onto the mattress. Ahzrukhal put one hand on her ribs and used the other to balance as he leaned back, gazing up at her with lust filled eyes.  _Gotcha you son of a bitch._

Rachel's smile turned predatory and she slid her right hand quickly down her raised leg, slipping her fingers up her pant leg and pulling Maria from its holster. In another quick movement she yanked his tie forward and jammed her 9mm into his mouth, cutting off his yelped.

He tried to snarl curses at her but quieted suddenly she pushed the gun further into his mouth. "Sshhh, you should have just taken my caps." she tsked.

He tried to speak again, the fingers of his free hand digging into her skin while the other one strain to hold him up, he really didn't want to be on his back and at the crazy bitches mercy.

Rachel hushed him again, talking softly. "Now, I'm a reasonable person. But I have a low tolerance for people how keep slaves, hush," Rachel demanded, jerking his tie. When he tried to speak around her gun again. "I've been asking around and it seems to me like you treat him little better than a junk yard dog. Now one of two things is going to happen in the next five minutes. You are going to take my thousand caps and tell me where the contract is, or I'm going to shoot you and pick it off your body."

Ahzrukhal looked at her, fear in his wide eyes. "Nod if you understand," Rachel whispered and he nodded. she kept going. "Was I right in saying it was on your person?" he nodded again.

"Good, is it in your pants pockets?" he didn't move.

"Your jacket?" another nod. Rachel transferred his tie into the fingers holding the gun handle and reached into both outside pockets, next she moved to the inner ones most suit jackets had and she smiled when her fingers touched paper. She drew the folded yellowing sheet out and shook it open, scanning it quickly. It was incredibly faded but Charon's name could be made out at the bottom.

"Very good," keeping the gun in place she tucked the paper into her bra, then reached down, undoing his belt, yanking it free. Now he really looked worried but she rolled her eyes. She yanked his arm out from under him; amazingly the gun didn't leave his mouth as he fell back. She shifted, straddling him and quickly tied his hands together with his own belt, then tied his already bound hands to the steel bed frame over his head.

Satisfied that he was stuck she whispered, "I'm leaving now," she dug out her bag of caps and dropped it onto his chest. "Here's you're payment, make any sound all in the next hour and I'll blow head off." she warned, slowly removing Maria. She made a note to give the 9mm a good cleaning later as Ahzrukhal worked his sore jaw.

As Rachel got to her feet he hissed at her softly. "You crazy fucking bitch," and he spat in her direction, missing entirely. She regarded him for a long moment and then nodded, holstering her weapon. "Yeah," she whispered as she stood, flashing him a final dark grin "I am, but I'm okay with it."

Rachel put her hand on the door knob and twisted, sliding out of the room she purred, "Pleasure doing business with you,"


	11. Chapter 11

Charon watched as the little red headed smoothskin flirted with his employer. Humans didn't flirt with ghouls, she was up to something. He could feel it but as of yet she hadn't made a threat, and if she had any weapons on her they would have to be a couple boot knives or something similar.

The big ghoul was even more surprised when Ahzrukhal reached out and touched her. Charon steeled himself, ready to move but too his extreme disappointment she made no move to hurt the sleazy bartender and he settled back against the wall. In fact she seemed to have wanted the touch and a few moments later they got up together and disappeared into Ahzrukhal room.

A snort was his only outside reaction to the scene, even as most of the other ghouls in the room stared openly at the now closed door.  _Apparently she's insane,_ he thought, eyes flicking to a drunken ghoul trying to sneak around the end of the unguarded bar. He gave a loud warning growl and the skinny little drunk froze, head whipping in Charon's direction.

He shrugged away from the damn wall and the thief stood up, inching towards the door babbling, "No no, I'll just show myself out."

The bigger ghoul took a threatening step toward him, not because he thought the drunk was going to be trouble but because he thought the way the guy squeaked and ran for everything his scrawny ass was worth was funny.

He settled back against the wall, wondering not for the first time tonight when his miserable existence would come to an end. Sixty-nine years was a long damn time to be stuck against a wall.

The door to Ahzrukhal's room opened, catching the bouncer's attention and the smoothskin slipped out quietly. To give her credit nobody seemed to notice she'd reappeared until she was half way across the room. Her eyes were locked on his and she was grinning like a yao guai who had stolen a picnic basket.

He shifted his stance as she came up to him, standing just a foot away.

"I have some news and I hope-"

"Go talk to Ahzrukhal," he growled, exasperated with her for not getting the hint. The red head just kept talking like he hadn'tinterrupted her.

"I really hope you think it's good news because I bought you're contract." She was watching him carefully, trying to gauge his reaction.

"I'm not longer in Ahzrukhal service?" he asked, disbelief surging through his brain and she pulled the familiar yellowing paper out of her shirt, showing it to him proudly. "That is good to know, please wait here. There is something I need to take care of."

Charon went to move past her but she caught is armored arm, pausing he looked down at her. She looked like she was struggling with something, maybe a command to leave the bastard alive, maybe not, in the end she looked like she changed her mind.

"He's an evil bastard," she whispered quietly instead, "Do what ya' gotta do, I'll be in Underworld Outfitters when you're done."

Charon looked at her for a long time, and then he nodded as he stalked towards the bedroom while the girl left the Ninth Circle _. She's_   _insane, that's gotta be it._

Rachel stretched as she descended the stairs, walking into the shop. The woman who ran it was named Tulip, or at least that's what she'd heard. Rachel unslung her pack and hefted it onto the counter.

"Hi," she greeted the woman, "Would you be interested in doing some trade?"

"Oh yes, of course, it's been so long since I've had a customer!" she exclaimed, leaning against the counter to look in the pack. The friendly shop keeper seemed young and her excited chatter almost blocked out the sound of two gunshots a minute later.  _Almost_.

Tulip straightened and looked in the same direction Rachel was, up in the corner of the ceiling that bordered The Ninth Circle. "wh-? What was that?" the ghoulette murmured more to herself then the human in front of her. They both listened to the startled voice above, they couldn't make out what was being said exactly but Rachel at least had a pretty good Idea about what the subject matter was. The door upstairs creaked open and heavy boots descended the stone steps.

Tulip pulled a loaded shot gun out from behind the counter and couldn't suppress her gasp as the bouncer for The Ninth Circle walked in, a few flecks of blood splattered lightly acrossed his chest.

"Ch- CH- Charon?" the little ghoul squeaked, aiming her gun at him. "What are you doing here?"

Rachel stepped between her new bodyguard and the terrified woman, gently pushing the gun to the side. "Tulip its fine,  _you're_  fine." She soothed, one hand up towards tulip, keeping her from shooting and the other up facing Charon as if to shield him. "Charon is with me now."

Tulip locked eyes with the human and then slowly started to relax, setting the gun back down after another tense minute to stare between the two of them. While she was collecting herself Rachel turned to the man behind her and smirked, "So, from the racket upstairs I'm guessing you took care of your  _business_?"

He nodded, "Yes…yes mistress." he'd stumbled over the proper title for a moment. He'd never have a female employer before and he'd never had anyone so young on top of that. Today was turning out to be the most interesting he'd had in decades. He wasn't sure whether it was going to be an improvement or not but at least it was something new.

Rachel decided to leave the title issue alone for the moment, taking in his old leather armor and lack of anything but the gun on his back. "I don't suppose you have anything other then what's on you right now?"

She cursed under her breath when he shook his head and then turned back to Tulip, getting down to business, she traded in all of her salvage and bought Ammo, meds, and food for both of them. When that was done Rachel added another traveling pack, blanket, some extra rope and as an afterthought she got some squirrel jerky for Claws.

They haggled over the price and settled on an even seven hundred. Reaching to her pant leg she stopped, her ears turning red with embarrassment. Her money was still upstairs, she'd completely forgotten that she'd left it with the man Charon had just killed.

Charon stepped forward, clearing his throat and when Rachel turned he held out a familiar pouch. "Mistress, you left this upstairs."

"Oh thank you! I thought I was going to have to go find it." She took her money bag and quickly counted out the six hundred she owed Tulip. It plunged her savings down way past her comfort zone but she'd deal with that later. After all she'd been planning on spending all of it on Charon's contract not more than an hour ago.

Items paid for she stuffed Charon's pack quickly and divided up both the ammo and meds accordingly. She handed the sturdy canvas bag over to the ghoul with a smile, a real one as opposed to the one she'd used on Ahzrukhal. Charon took it hesitantly.

He was giving her the oddest look. It was like he was trying to decide if she was trying to trick him. Like she'd offered him a package of Fancy Lad Snack Cakes that might really have cake inside or it might have a live grenade. Hopeful for cake but pretty sure it was the grenade. She cocked an eyebrow and his face went back to blank as he obediently hefted the pack over his shoulder.

She wanted to ask why he was looking at her like she was offering him grenade cake but let it slide for now. She'd talk to him later when they were in a more private setting. Charon didn't seem like the kind of person who liked to talk about personal business or really  _anything_  when people where around. That was certainly something she could relate to.

Leaving Tulips shop Rachel stopped so short that Charon bumped into her, he grunted something that might have been an apology but the girl wasn't listening. She was gawking as two men half carried and half dragged an unconscious but very much alive Ahzrukhal down the stairs.

They didn't pay any attention to her or her new companion and she really got a feel for exactly how much people  _liked_  the bar owner. There was blood on his face and shoulder but not enough to kill him. It looked like Charon had shot over his should and he caught some of the buckshot.

She wheeled around on her heel and looked up at Charon, his eyes flicking from the people towing Ahzrukhal towards the Chop Shop to her astonished face.

"Yes?" he asked coolly.

"You didn't kill him?" she wasn't surprised a lot anymore by the actions of other people but the ghoul had stunned her.

"No." when he didn't offer up anything else she pressed for more information, insanely curious.

"Why not?"

"Didn't seem right," he answered simply, shifting from foot to foot.

"Why?" Rachel pressed again, a smirk tipping up one corner of her mouth.

"He was tied to his bed, it was not sporting." He explained with an exasperated sigh and after a second of thought he grudgingly added, "I've waited almost seventy years to kill that rat bastard, I'll get him next time I meet up with him."

She was still looking at him and this time he growled outright. "Yes?"

"Oh, it's nothing, don't worry about it. I'm tired, let's go get some sleep yeah?"

Charon nodded, he'd been hoping to leave Underworld immediately but he didn't say anything. She was his employer and she had not asked for his opinion, it wasn't his place to request their departure before she was prepared.

He would have to take a moment to explain who he was to her, and what his contract entailed. She would likely read it herself but she would have questions, they always had questions. Of course that was going on the assumption that the girl could read.

As he followed her up the stairs towards Carol's Place he adjusted his new pack, nobody had ever bought anything for him before, not anything that wasn't absolutely necessary.

Nobody had ever stepped in front of a gun for him either, no matter how minimal the danger was. Maybe this time it would be different. Doubtful but one decent employer in two hundred years wasn't impossible not matter how unlikely.

He was still deep in thought when Rachel led them into the hotel and she nodded pleasantly at the paling woman behind the counter.

"Smoothskin?" the blonde asked nervously, her eyes wide as the big man followed the human inside.

"What?" she asked, she kept her face innocent even though she knew exactly  _what_. "Oh, yeah. I needed a guide, I saw an opportunity and I took it."

The woman pursed her lips together and looked up at the bouncer, clearly not thinking it was a good opportunity. Charon bristled but kept it his mouth shut, none of his pervious employers had enjoyed his comments. Instead he just stood with his arms crossed defensibly over his chest returning the woman's gaze.

"Carol," Rachel chimed in, distracting and defusing the ghoulette. As Carol turned back to the girl Charon got another mental image of the smoothskin stepping between himself and a gun. "In the morning we're headed out so if you'd like to write back to your boy I'd more than happy to take the letter with me."

Carol instantly smiled, Rachel having successfully soothed her. Charon was impressed even if he couldn't pin down exactly why. The little smoothskin seemed to be full of surprises and he wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. He liked to be able to predict what his employers were going to do. It made his job a whole lot easier. She wasn't going to be easy to keep alive. He could feel it.

Carol led them to a screened off section when his new employer had asked where they should sleep. There were two beds set across from each other and lamp on the floor between them.

Carol had already shut off the light in the main room and had gone to her own bedroom with Greta. Rachel was pleased to see that she and Charon were the two only guest in the common room. She dropped her pack down next to the bed against the wall and Charon did the same on the side against the screen. Then he just stood there, looking at her.

"What?" She asked, plopping down on her bed.

"What are my orders?" he asked.

"Orders? Um… I don't know, get comfortable I guess and when you get tired get some sleep."

He nodded curtly. "Where would you have me sleep?"

Rachel had been in the process of leaning down to remove her boots. Now she sat back up and this time she was confused, "On the other bed?"

It was more of a question than an answer but he nodded again and sat, bending down to remove his own boots. He stacked them neatly next to the bed and started buckling his heavy armor. Rachel was right behind him, reaching under her shirt to remove her bra, sliding it off through her sleeve with the long practiced ease.

His contract came with it, having been nestled in her left cup. She stuffed the cloth into one of her boots and finished with removing her belt. She didn't have anything by way of pajamas. Rachel never slept in anything special when she was out.

She settled back, leaning against the wall as she studied the ancient document in her hands. All in all she found she hated who ever made it with a fierce, burning passion of a dozen atomic bombs detonating simultaneously. From what she'd heard and seen he was iron bound to it, without the ability to say refuse even if he was putting his life on the line. It was sickening. Every person should be able to say  _fuck off_.

Rachel read it carefully twice. If she tried to destroy the paper he would have to stop her by any means necessary, including her death. The contract did not cover sexual acts or the mental well-being of his employer. If she imparted major physical damage on him the contract was void. According to the paper he was to protect his employer with at all cost, no matter the danger to himself and follow all orders she gave without hesitation.

Rachel bit her lip as she carefully folded the paper back up, wondering where she should stash it to keep it safe. For now she picked up her bra and used her knife to cut a little of the stitching in the right pad, slipping the paper into the lining. Satisfied she tucked it back into her boot and looked up, Charon had been watching her.

"So," she started uncertainly, "That's a pain in the ass document you've got."

He nodded, eyes flicking to her boot with something like loathing.

"Do you really have to do anything your employer says? That's why you wouldn't talk to me earlier?"

"Yes," her rasped, "Ahzrukhal had instructed me to keep my opinions to myself." Charon told her and she wondered yet again why he'd let the slimy bastard live.

"Well fuck that, I'm your employer now so talk whenever you want. In fact do whatever you want. You're a man not a robot and you're allowed to act like it." She told him firmly. "Those are standing orders until I find a way to free you from that piece of shit contract," she gestured towards her boots as she spoke.

"What?" her proclamation had startled him, to his knowledge nobody had ever even considered freeing him. Hell he didn't even know if was possible. There certainly weren't instruction on the document itself.

"Well I assume I can't just hand it over to you, right?"

"That is correct."

"And if I try to destroy it you'll kick my ass, right now I don't really want my ass kicked, so I'm gonna think on that. Oh, don't feel like you have to wait for me to fall asleep before you do. I don't sleep a whole lot," She stretched and cuddled under the blanket, pulling a book out from her pack.

"Neither do I," Charon murmured as he got into bed too. It had been a long damn time since he'd gotten to sleep in a bed. It was surprising comfortable considering it was 200 years old. Charon hadn't thought he was tired but he was asleep within minutes.

Rachel's eye flicked from her book to the ghoul as his breath slowed and evened out, she thought about sneaking out to see claws but beat the desire down. If the little beast was going to attach himself to her he needed to lean that she was going to need to spend extended amounts of time in place he just couldn't go.

She read for a while longer and then reached down, stowing the copy of Paradise Lost and killing the light. Tomorrow would be the first time she was going to have to convince somebody not to shoot her bizarre and deadly pet and it was undoubtedly not going to be the last so practicing a few arguments might be a good idea.


	12. Chapter 12

Charon snapped his eyes open, confused for a second before he remembered why he wasn't staring at the smoke stained walls of the bar he'd been condemned to for so many years. He sat up, wiping a hand over his face, his joins cracking pleasantly. The ghoul cracked his neck after his shoulders and back and looked over to his employer's bed with a frowned. She wasn't there. He didn't  _need_  to have her in sight at all times but he didn't know how she handled herself against potential threats.

Charon swung his leg over the edge of the bed, pulling on his boots with the intent to look for her. As it turned out he didn't need too, she rounded the corner just as he moved the screen aside. She handed him a bowl of warm InstaMash and sat at an empty table with another bowl for herself.

"Good Morning," her greeting was bright when he sat to joined her.

"Morning Mistress," it wasn't a warm replied but it wasn't cold either so she took it, moving on to the title issue.

"Charon you can call me by my name, or really anything that not so  _formal_. I want us to be friends."

" _Friends_?" He asked brow wrinkling together slightly, the word felt strange on his tongue. It was a strange notion… for her to seek friendship in him.

Rachel watched his expression and thought she'd offended him somehow, she back peddled quickly. "Friends or comrades or something along those lines. I'm going to watch your back just like you'll be watching mine."

Charon regarded her apprehensively, before finally nodding.  _Oh right, she's insane._  It would be a nice change of pace if she meant what she said, and part of him believed that she did. Right now at least. He knew it wasn't going to last, she had the best of intention but after two centuries of life he knew how easily humans got distracted. Got complacent.

Rachel tried not to fidget while he got the grenade cake look on his face again.

"If that is what you wish." He said finally. "As long as you hold my contract, for good or Ill, I serve you."

The smoothskin nodded and seemed to be satisfied enough. Charon rubbed the back of his neck.

"So, what  _is_  your name?"

She started and blushed red, "Oh shit, I never introduced myself. I'm sorry, it's Rachel. Rachel Boone."

He hesitated, searching for the polite response. "Well…it's nice to meet to Rachel Boone,"

Rachel beamed at him. "It's nice to meet you too Charon."

* * *

After breakfast was finished they both repacked their bags quickly and headed out. Rachel had already seen Carol, talking only long enough to get her letter and to receive a warm, "Be careful out there sweetie."

She'd gone back to bed after that and Rachel had made their food on the hotplate Carol had let her borrow. It was still early enough that they didn't see anyone but the robot quietly making its rounds. Rachel was glad it was so quiet. she wasn't exactly a morning person. She's been up for two hours already and that how she'd been awake enough to be friendly with Carol and Charon, probably Willow when they went by, but not strangers.

Charon followed her like a silent shadow, worn boots impossibly quiet on the marble floors as they crossed the final concourse. With the rise in Brotherhood soldiers in the area nobody of any real significance had tried to invade Underworld in a long damn time. It had been almost twelve years since the last time he'd even stepped into this big room, let alone outside.

Rachel pushed open the door and he paused in the threshold, the overcast sky and fog concealed city was almost stunning. He took a deep breath of clean air, cleaner then in the bowels of the ghoul city anyway and the man  _nearly_  smiled.

Rachel took a few more steps then turned to him, setting down her bag, "I just remembered, I have a few extra weapons in here I want you to have. Just in case you're shotgun ever doesn't suit the mood."

Charon nodded with a twinge of gratification that his new employer wasn't going to stack the odds against him just to watch him fight to survive for fun. Ahzrukhal certainly hadn't showed him the same kindness. On the way to Underworld their first week together he'd ordered Charon to kill a pair of giant radscorpions, but not before striping away all his extra ammo. The bastard had called it,  _A test of your skills_. In the end of it, his ammo long gone, he'd had to use nothing but a combat knife. It was an experience he never wanted again and he had a long scar up his thigh as a reminder.

Rachel held out a semi-auto 10mm and a handful of clips first which he accepted quickly, securing the pistol to is holster belt. After that she passed over a handful of grenades and half of her stimpaks.

"I assume you know how to use a grenade?" she asked, not with any insult though, she was just inquiring.

"Yes Rachel," he tucked them into a pouch on his belt, glancing up as the sentry Willow strolled over to them. She looked him overand then the kid, arching what was left of her eyebrow.

"Yeah?" she asked and Rachel nodded giving the ghoulette and smile.

"Yeah,"

"Good,"

Charon knew he was missing something and pushed it away to ask about later if he found it to be important. Instead of pondering over it he waited patiently while Rachel talked to the sentry, slapping a cigarette pack into the ghoulette's hand.

"I only smoke in settlements, or maybe after a really long day. I like to keep all my senses clear out in the wasteland." she explained and willow grinned, tucking the pack into her leather jacket.

"Smart little smoothskin, aren't you."

Rachel nodded cockily, "That's how I've stayed alive all these years."

Willow laughed saluting to them both as Rachel started edging away from Underworld, "Hey, watch your backs out there. Both of you."

"Always," Rachel gave a half-assed salute of her own, turning on her heel to head back out into the world.

Rachel lead the way along the walls of the decrypted and mostly uninhabited buildings, keeping to the shadows incase anything unpleasant skulked in the early morning fog. They slid into the square that held one of the metro stations when she stopped, turning to him.

"Hey, um.." she reached up to tug on the long red lock of hair hanging along the side of her face. He raised an eyebrow, not sure how to handle this new timid side of her.

"Yes?" he prodded when she didn't start talking again.

"Well, you're not the first unusually dangerous companion I've picked up here in the Capital Wasteland and I want to give you a fair warning because we're about to pick him up." Rachel bit the inside of her lower lip, looking up at him like she was a child about to be in trouble.

"It can't be  _that_  bad Miss Rachel, who is he? Some kind of Ex Talon Company? Raider? I am sure who ever it is, I've had to travel with a lot worse." He tried to assure her, she did appear to want him happy but it wasn't his say who else she picked up. Not as long as she wasn't in direct danger.

" _Yeah_ ," she muttered, "We'll see, will you wait here of the minute? Just please don't shoot him." she half pleaded and he nodded, accepting the request as an indirect order.

Rachel sighed and turned, walking the last ten feet to the dumpster and snapping her fingers twice as she called her pets name softly. She was relieved to her the patter of clawed feet, glad he was still safely tucked lifted the lid and blanched, the stink from inside had punched her in the face, he'd done his business in the corner thought thankfully hadn't rolled in it or anything similarly gross.

Holding her breath she reached inside, getting a cheerful gurgle as she picked him up. Cradling Claws in her arms, she turned so the ghoul to see little friend. Originally she'd been planning on putting the deathclaw down while she explained, but the sharp gasp, the way his hand flew to his shotgun and his wide eyes told her no way in hell was that a good idea.

The exposed muscle on the ghouls face went as pale as it could when she'd turned around, the widely agreed most dangerous creature in the wasteland cradled in her arms like an infant. He held his breath for a full thirty seconds as he fought the urge to rip the deathclaw from her arms and put a load of buckshot in its brain. She'd ordered him not to shoot it and it wasn't attacking,  _yet_. Charon tightened his grip on his combat shotgun and swallowed thickly, keeping his voice steady by sheer force of will.

"What is that?" he asked slowly, it was the only think he could think of that wasn't mostly questioning her intelligence.

Rachel knew exactly what his was asking but she was half panicked that he was going to shoot her pet anyway. She looked down at Claws and back up to the ghoul, "A deathclaw,"

Charon gritted his teeth so hard they hurt, "Y-yes, I see that, Mistre-  _Rachel_ , I have standing orders to speak freely?"

Rachel gulped, it would be so easy to say no, too order him to deal with it and avoid what she knew was going to shouting match. She knew couldn't do that to him though, she'd promised herself she wasn't going to use that power over him. Rachel never wanted to be that kind of person. So after a moment she nodded slowly.  _Better to let him get it all out now._

Permission granted Charon sucked in a breath, his snarl making both the girl and her  _deathtrap_  flinch, "What the hell is wrong with you? Where did you even get that damn thing? Deathclaw aren't pets, they're killers!"

Rachel refused to meet his eyes, "He isn't either, he's already saved my ass once when I was down in the metro."

"How the hell aren't you dead? What are you? 18? And not enough common sense to fucking  _run_  when you see one of these thing?"

Rachel bristled, Claws feeling her stiffen growled in Charon's direction while pressing herself tightly against the human holding him. "I'm twenty-two and I  _did_  walk away, he  _followed_  me!"

"It  _hunted_  you! And even if it didn't, it's mother sure as hell is!" He yelled, glancing around like he expected the Mother Deathclaw to appear.

"No, she's dead," The fiery red head told him firmly, explaining in a rush about the raiders and the massacre and her theory about why the runt had survived. "He was just looking at me, so I tossed him some mole rat and went on my merry fuckin' way."

"You fed it!  _Why_?" the ghoul demanded.

Rachel looked down at the ground, suddenly defused as she pouted softly, scuffing her boot against the concrete.

"I don't know," the hurt in her voice dosed his anger like cold water on a campfire, leaving him still irritated but guilty that he'd,  _justifiably_ , yelled at her. He didn't like the emotion. "He just looked so scrawny and you know what life is like out here. I figured I'd feed him once and give him one more day before the wasteland got him."

Charon grumbled and then sighed, defeated. Despite the yelling the thing hadn't made a move to attack either of them and they weren't going anywhere by arguing. Besides it wasn't like he could leave her to her doom. In the end he was going to have to tolerate it.  _Oh you are so very, very crazy_ , he thought to himself, saying, "Fine. Keep it, when it kills us in our sleep I'm to use my dying breath to say I fucking  _told_  you so."

Rachel giggled, the sound blurting from her lips, it sounded chocked, like she didn't do it a lot. He looked down at the deathclaw as she wiped what he told himself was an eyelash out of her eye. "Fair enough."

Charon rubbed a big hand over his face and the back of his neck, "So, since you're  _blatantly_  batshit insane, I assume you fucking named it."

She nodded, shifting her arms and holding the little killer out at arm's length, "Yeah, His name is Claws."

Charon snorted as she put it down, watching it sniff her and the ground around her. It kept one eye on him but didn't approach. "At least you didn't name it fucking fluffy or some shit."

Rachel tsked at the absurd name, fetching the bowl and blanket, stuffing them into her half full pack. Fluffy didn't make any sense at all. "I've only ever seen one thing in the wastes that I would call fluffy, and it was in the height of summer in the Mojave. A rancher had cut most of the hair off his bighorners and the short hair was positively fuzzy."

Charon wasn't sure what a bigghorner was but before her could ask she spoke again. "Hey, do you know where a building called GNR is? I have an errand to run over there."


	13. Chapter 13

The route to GNR was uneventful. A handful of scattered raiders in the musty metro tunnels and a few hours of walking brought them the plaza that held the radio station. It was only midmorning when the three of them walked through the crumbling shell of a pre-war elementary school. That's were Rachel stopped them, turning to crouch in front of Claws.

"Okay, you need to hide." told him and he cocked his head, looking at her with black eyes.

Charon rolled his eyes behind her back; she was talking to a deathclaw and expecting it to understand. Not only was she about to waltz into Brotherhood territory but she was going to do so with a ghoul and a Deathclaw in tow.

It would be a glorified miracle if those tin canned bastards saw Rachel walking towards them with two of their least favorite abominations they were going to open fire, no questions asked. "Rachel? If you're going to start giving it- _him_  commands you're going to have to train him first. If I might suggest hiding it-  _him_ \- while we are in sight of the brotherhood."

Rachel looked up, feeling stupid because he was right. She would have to give Claws some training and she knew it was a bad idea to approach the heavily guarded building with both her companions visible. she had to find a way to conceal Claws. The beast in question was looking at her, unsure why his two people were making sounds. He butted the flat top of his head against her knee and she laughed softly. "Okay, here buddy."

She unslung her pack, flipping the satchel flap up and adjusting the things inside. Dangerous, explosive and sharp things on the bottom and her spare clothes and her blanket on top. Rachel patted the inside and he was all too happy to scramble inside. "If you shit in there I'll skin you," she warned sternly, closing the flap when he curled into a ball.

Carefully she replaced her pack on her shoulders and smirked at the incredulous look ghoul was shooting in her direction. "What?"

Charon had his arms crossed over his chest and he was trying to calculate how long until the Brotherhood discovered her insane pet and killed them all on principal. That's assuming they waited to shoot him. These boys never could seem to tell the difference from intelligent, sentient ghouls and the feral hoards that roamed the metros.

"What's on your mind tall, dark and brooding?" she asked, he wasn't sure what to think of the nickname but he growled. "I am certain you're not going to receive a warm welcome with me beside you. The Brotherhood of Steel is not welcoming to ghouls."

She looked in the Brotherhoods direction and then back at him, that cocky little smirk still in place. "I know. Don't worry, I'll protect you." She slipped off her NCR beret while she talked. Rachel didn't know what this faction of the Brotherhood thought about the NCR but she wanted things to go as smoothly as possible. She stuffed it in a pocket and cracked her neck. "Let's go,"

They stepped into the courtyard and five lazar rifles trained on them. Both she and Charon had their hands up, well away from the comfort of their own weapons.

"State your business at GNR," one of the Power Armor suits called out, it sounded male. Rachel smiled at them, putting a little swing in her hips. Charon kept his face blank but inwardly he smirked, it was the opening of the same game she'd played to get his contract. The girl undeniably knew how to use her appearance to her advantage. Even now in plain wasteland clothes covered in battered combat armor she turned every head in front of them. Hell, if the tin cans were all looking at her cans maybe the two of them wouldn't get shot today.

"I'm a Courier," she called in a voice that was both inviting and smooth. "Bringing a message to a man named Three Dog, is this GNR?" Rachel knew it was GNR of course but asking if they were in the right place put the sentries at ease and they lowered their weapons. She and Charon were allowed approached after a moment of conversation between the men. The man who had spoken first stepped forward, offering the girl his hand.

"Paladin Jefferson,  _Miss_?"

"Rachel," she answered with that same sweet smile, accepting the hand shake delicately. The man did not offer his hand to the ghoul but neither Charon nor the Rachel showed sign that they'd noticed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Three Dog in inside, up the stairs, the door in the middle."

"Thank you," she purred, looking up at Jefferson. "It's so nice to meet gentlemen when I'm out in the ruins." And she winked. "We won't be too long."

Charon was pretty sure the guy was blushing; there was a noticeable stammer in his voice under his helmet. He also thought the man was a fool. Nobody could make it this far into the DC ruins even now that most of the super mutants were gone by being sweet and innocent.

"W-why, thank you, but I'm afraid you can't bring you're zombie inside. Don't worry miss, we'll keep him out of trouble for you." He said it like he was doing the pretty woman a favor and Charon saw her eyes go hard for a split second before shifting into something like amusement. She was having fun.

"I'm afraid that's out of the question. He's my bodyguard and  _Charon_  can't exactly guard my body if he isn't in sight, now can he?" she purred the words and somehow managed to covey that Charon staying with her was non-negotiable at the same time.

"I understand Miss Rachel but Protocol is-"

Rachel cut him off with a pout. "I really need him to stay close to me, oh!" she smiled and clapped her hands together like she'd just had a wonderful idea."Maybe Three Dog could come out here, I'll deliver the message and be on my way."

Charon watched his mistress work with a kind of awe that he would never  _ever_  admit too. She was playing with Paladin Jefferson much like a cat might have played with a mouse before atomic war wiped them out. The paladin certainly didn't seem to want Three Dog to come outside. Finally, after some stuttering he nodded and told them to wait. He went over to the intercom, having a quick conversation with whoever was on the other side and then waved them up.

When they walked through the lower part of the building people watched them but didn't make any comments. They climbed the stairs and when he was sure nobody could hear them he leaned down, whispering in his employer's ear. "Lucky they didn't search you."

She chucked and turned her head enough to whisper back, "That might have been trouble but I don't know, Paladin Jefferson seems  _all too happy_  to accommodate me." He was starting to think maybe he'd underestimated the little smoothskin. He'd seen woman flirt to get their way scores of times in his long life but Rachel…Rachel used sex like weapon.

Charon felt like he might want to snicker but he didn't.

There was a plain clothes guy standing at the top of the second staircase they'd just found and he'd be damned if some strange smoothskin asshole caught him chuckling. Instead he followed her closely up the steps, hoping to get her errand over and get out of here.

The guy, whom they both assumed was Three Dog, opened his mouth and they didn't have to assume anymore. That voice was unmistakable.

"I know what you're thinking," he said with what Charon found was an incredibly irritating grin. "You're thinking who the hell is this guy? And why should I care?"

Rachel cut him off, sure that there was a lot more to his speech and wanting to move things along so they could get out of there and let Claws out of her bag. He was being surprisingly still, or at least he had been until the radio D.J with the sunglasses started talking.

"Three Dog," Rachel smiled pleasantly, hitching her bag up on her shoulder in an effort to get Claws to settle down. "You're voice isn't something that can be mistaken if you've spent more than a few hours in the Capital Wasteland."

Three Dog laughed and Claws shifted again in her pack. With an abrupt realization she remembered that yesterday and today when they'd stopped to rest she'd turned on the radio and fed Claws. She was suddenly ninety percent sure that Claws was associating this man's voice with food.  _Fuck_.

"So what brings a smart girl like you to my humble little radio station?" he asked, as he'd talked Charon had inconspicuously shifted forward, rest a big hand on top of her pack. Thankfully Claws stilled under the weight of the ghoul's hand while Rachel spoke with the food man.

"I have a message for you from a woman I met on the road. She asked me to pass it on if I ever met you. Since I was in the area I figured it wouldn't be too much trouble to pop in."

Three Dog ushered them both in and gestured to a table and chairs set up in his studio. Rachel gently set her bag down, swiftly securing the flap in an effort to get Claws to stay put. Part of her was annoyed that Three Dog wanted to chat but the other part was happy he was being nice to Charon.

Rachel sat politely and when he gestured for her ghoul to sit as well the bodyguard shook his head. "Rather stand," he growled and Three Dog shrugged, turning his attention back to the girl.

"So, what do you have to tell ol' Three Dog?"he asked with a grin as cocky as the one Rachel liked to put on.

"It was about two weeks ago, she said to let you know " _101's heading west_ ," Rachel blinked, it still didn't make any sense to her but Charon grunted and Three Dog leaned back in his chair looking a little stunned.

"Whoooweee, I thought the kid had finally kicked it out there, glad to know she's still alive. Little miss 101 left though huh? Can't say I blame her." He thought for a long moment and then looked up at Rachel's lack of emotion. "You don't know who you bumped into out there, do you?" he asked and she shook her head.

"Little miss 101. The Best Hope for Humanity, The Lone Wanderer. She crawled out of a vault to look for her farther, James. He was a scientist who thought up something called Project Purity. Well eventually she found him, but he died protecting the project from the Enclave. Finished what he'd started and got pretty banged up in the process. She's the reason we have clean water in the tidal basin. People aren't really sure how she survived the radiation when she turned the machine on. But when she woke up she was good as new.

After that I know she wandered for a long time, we got reports every couple months about some new, generous thing she'd done for settlers all over the place.

The last few months we hadn't heard anything and I was starting to wonder if maybe her luck had finally ran out,"

Rachel had listened with wide eyes, wishing she'd know who the woman was when they'd met. Then again the Lone Wanderer hadn't even given her a name and if she was heading west instead of staying in a place where people worshiped the ground she spit on then it was a good bet she didn't want to be fawned over. When Rachel said as much Three Dog laughed.

"You're right, she did a lot of good here but some people don't take kindly to that. I know the Slavers had a price on her head, she kept attacking their caravans. After everything that happened, there were a lot of painful reminders here too. Hope she finds what she's looking for, a fresh start or whatever."

Rachel nodded and stood, "Well we really need to get going, we've got a long walk ahead of us."

Three Dog stood too, "Hey let me throw you a few caps, my children will be glad to hear 101's not deep sixed."

Rachel nodded again, glad to be paid for her efforts. Of course now she didn't have any work lined up. Maybe she should ask the DJ about where the major settlements were. In the end she decided against it, she'd ask Charon later, right now she just wanted to get back to Megaton. She was going to visit Gob and Nova and resupply. The crazy woman Moira probably had a few errands to run and she could sell off her scrap metal to Walter.

Rachel was snapped out of her thoughts by Charon's warning growl. She glanced up at him and then down to where his eyes were glaring. Claw was standing by her legs, sniffing the floor. It was at that particular second Three Dog turned around, caps in hand. The man froze, Rachel watched his mouth open to yell like everything around her was in slow motion and without a clear thought about what she was doing she lunged at him.

Rachel's smaller body slammed into him, taking them both to the floor with her hand slapped over his mouth. Claws, excited by the sudden movement tried to skitter to the people on the floor but Charon swung his leg out, hooked the deathclaw with the top of his boot and yanking him back. Then he stepped light on the things tail to keep it in one place. Claws looked up at him. "No," he growled. Charon crouched down indignantly and looked away from the ghoul.

Rachel had Three Dog pinned to the floor and she spoke quickly, tremendously aware that the crash as they hit the floor was going to attract somebody in power armor. " _Shhh, shh_ , He won't hurt  _you_  unless you hurt  _me_ , you're  _fine_. His Name is Claws,"

Three Dog watched her with wide eyes for a few seconds and then sighed, or he tried to with the girl hand still planted firmly over his mouth. Rachel watched him settle down and slowly peeled her hand away.

"Is that a…a," he stammered around the word.

"Deathclaw," she nodded, "I'm sorry, usually when I tell him to stay put he does. I think he got out because when we stop to eat I turn on GNR,"

"So… _he_ …thought it was meal time," he asked slowly, eyes now glued on her strange pet. Rachel was impressed by the DJ, he was taking the bombshell of Claws surprisingly well. Miles better than Charon had. She really had actually expected him to shout for help, or at the very least be horrified or something. Instead he was looking at Claws with a mix of curiosity and fascination.

Rachel let the man up, moving back towards Charon and with a nod from his mistress he released Claws' tail. He was as surprised as she was that they weren't in a fire fight with the brotherhood right now.

As if on cue somebody knocked on the door, "Three Dog? Everything alright? Heard a crash down stairs,"

"Fine," he called back without missing a beat, Rachel let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Ol' Three Dog tripped over a chair," the sound of retreating boots was the only response he got from the solider but none of them cared.

Claws skittered to the man, stopping three feet away and looking up at him expectantly. As the source of  _The Voice_  this man was sure to have food.

Three Dog laughed and dug in the pocket of her shirt, pulling out some kind of jerky that Rachel couldn't identify on sight. He looked at the strange courier first, "I can feed him right?"

"Sure, it'll be that much moreI don't have to feed him,"

He broke off a piece and tossed it, all three of them twitching as Claws sprang up the full length of his powerful legs, snapping the dried meat out of the air.

Three Dog tossed another piece, higher this time. Clawsleapt into the air, his aim impeccable as the meat was snapped from midair. He munched and swallowed and Three Dog laughed. Claws liked that sound,  _She_  made that sound sometimes and it meant happiness.

He darted forward, butting his head against Three Dog's shin with a happy little gurgle. The man laughed and reached down, hesitated and then scratched the top of the deathclaws head. Claws pressed his head in the direction of the fingers, mouth open and tongue lolling out one side.

"Well I'll be damned," he murmured in disbelief, moving under the little guys chin. The DJ stood, looking at the two people who'd been watching him. "A year ago I wouldn't ask, I would just do it, but 101 and I had a rather heated discussion in which I learned that on more than one occasion I'd lead her enemies' right to her. So now I'm asking, can I tell the whole wasteland about this?"

Charon shifted his weight from the right to the left side, a barely audible growl rumbling deep in his chest. Rachel could tell he wanted to say something and she also knew that right now he wouldn't interfere with something that was her decision.

She knew she should say no. there was no telling how people would react to the knowledge that somebody had a deathclaw at their side. Factions might try to hunt them, people might fire on them. Of course those things would very likely happen anyway.

She took a deep breath, meeting the Dj's eyes. "Fine, but if I hear my name, his name," she jerked her thumb back a Charon, "or a description of either of us on the radio I'm going to come back here and beat you until you forget us," her voice was low, her threat clear. Three Dog nodded and swallowed.

"One more thing," if you do hear that we did something and you feel the driving need to share it with the world, I want you to wait at least a couple weeks. That way we'll be long gone before anybody knows where we've been." She kept her eyes on his, only letting him look away after he'd agreed. She could practically feel Charon's annoyance pulsing off him and into her back.

After that they left, Rachel had Claws tucked back into her bag. This time she'd tied the flap closed instead of just tucking it down. She didn't feel like getting shot in the back because her pet got curious again.

The Brotherhood guys waved as they pasted and when they were out of sight Charon cleared his throat. Rachel didn't stop walking but she turned her head to listen. "Do you think that was wise?"

Rachel sighed, rubbing a hand on the back of her neck, "Probably not,"


	14. Chapter 14

Snarling in frustration Rachel dove for the closest semblance of cover, bullets flying everywhere. Ten minutes ago they'd stepped out of the Farragut West metro tunnel and into a large raider party. There were a dozen of them at least and they hadn't been nearly at surprised as she had.

Charon had been her saving grace, shoving her back down the stairs before firing on the Raiders. Rachel had recovered quickly, cursing loudly. She was embarrassed at being caught off guard during her first real fight with the ghoul. She pushed the feelings away to deal with later.

Now her back was pressed against one on the pillars that marked the entrance to the tunnels, Charon occupied the other and she had no idea where her deathclaw was. Both packs were still in the stairwell, they'd both dropped the heavy bags in favor of maneuverability and Claws had been standing between the bogs the last time she'd seen him.

"Why the  _fuck_ are there so damn many!" She snarled again, firing her rifle awkwardly from her slim cover.

Charon snarled an insult of his own at their enemies and fired, darting to take refuge by a car while Rachel provided cover fire. He was enthralled, it was the first time she'd seen him excited and it was almost frightening. Charon was a killer. The bodies littering the ground before them proved he was a good one.

Two more raiders dropped, they were definitely making a dent in the bastards. Rachel took a deep breath, darting around her pillar to take a position next to Charon. The raiders were moving in, chem. crazed and identifying the two travelers as easy prey, they were pinned down and outnumbered after all.

Charon moved around the edge of the old vehicle, firing around a headlight while Rachel fired over the trunk. The smell of smoke sent a spike of fear down her spine and then she saw the flames break out in front of her.

" _Shit_ , Charon!" she yelled.

He didn't seem to be able hear her over the guns and yelling. Rachel moved, throwing herself across the short distance between them, while keeping her head out of enemy crosshairs. She flung her arms around his bicep and hauled, pulling him off balance. Over the roar in her ears she heard part his infuriated yell, "-the fuck,"

Rachel tossed her head back towards the growing flame, eyes wide with panic as she hauled him back. Rachel slid in front of him, put her hands on his chest she shoved him a few steps towards the stairs to the riverbank when he react immediately. They had seconds, maybe. "Run you asshole!'

His own eye widening as he saw the flames shooting out of the hood of the car, he staggered back, reaching out like he intended to pull her along with him.

Heart hammering too hard in her chest to think clearly she shoved again, his boots hitting the concert barrier and Charon fell backward over the wall. The earth rocked with the force of the explosion. Rachel was thrown from the concrete, she felt the heat on her back, the itchy tingle of the radiation and the cold rush of the air she was flying threw.

Charon swore, flat on his back as his employer was flung threw the air over him with the force of the explosion. He rolled, scrambling on his feet and franticly searching for where his mistress had landed. His eyes landed on a flash of red hair and angry gurgles from the middle of the river. He didn't hear anything from above; the explosion hopefully had finished off the rest of the raiders.

Water flew through the air as he hurried to reach the red head struggling to keep her head above water. He got a hand on the back of her leather armor and tugged her back. As soon as his feet could touch bottom he scooped her up, carrying the sopping, swearing girl back to shore.

"Are you alright?" He asked, checking her over, if she was hurt in any way it would be his fault.

"Fuck the water!" she barked, shivering. "Are we safe?"

Charon set her down on a rock and climbed back up the stairs to check the perimeter. When he didn't see anybody immediately he swept the area, just in case a raider or two had been smart enough to hide. After the area was dubbed all clear her grabbed their packs and returned to his employer.

"Hey, you found Claws!" Rachel sounded a lot happier then she should have been and it put him on edge.

"He was on top of our packs," He rasped softly, "a couple dead raiders with half eaten throats down where they were too. Looks like they were trying to steal 'em,"

Claw butted his head against Rachel's out stretched hand. She cooed to the beast for a moment Before she looked up with a heavy sigh. Charon braced himself, here it comes. The end of the vacation she'd given him. He didn't blame her though; he'd without question failed her.

"Charon I'm so sorry. I should have never put us in that kind of danger. I guess I got cocky and I wasn't paying as close attention as I should have been," Her eye where fixed on his wet boots. His eyes were fixed on her.

"I failed to protect you, you should punish me Mistress, not give an apology. You should have left me behind and saved yourself." His words were firm, like it was unprecedented that she'd done more than saved her own skin. It was infuriating.

" _Like hell!_  Your life is just as important as mine!" She snapped and when he looked at her with nothing uncomfortable silences stretching out between them she softened. It wasn't his fault. It was the faults of his previous employers and the people who had bound him to the contract hidden safely in the lining of her NCR beret.

"Charon you and I,  _we're partners_. I'm not like your other employers and that I'm promising you right now. I'm not looking for a disposable slave to take on my enemies or a puppy to fetch my slippers. I've already got a robot butler and a deathclaw pup so those positions are filled," Rachel met his foggy blue eyes, holding him the way she'd held onto Three Dog. "I know it's stupid to trust someone so easily, but even though we've only been together a couple days I consider you a friend. Okay? And friends don't let friends explode."

Charon was taken aback, but he nodded slowly. It was still strange that she wanted to be friends but it seemed a lot more possible now somehow. He watched her reach for her pack and his ever sharp eyes caught a small wince on her face.

"Rachel?" he asked slowly, pushing away the swirl of shame that he'd failed and the trust that he was starting to place in her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, let's get the fuck outta' here. It's only like… two hour to Megaton and I absolutely hate wet boots." She stood, flipping her red beret onto her head. Rachel got a small sense of appreciation that it had been in her pack instead of on her person when she'd nearly drown a few minutes ago.

Charon kept his eyes on her. Rachel hoisted her pack and poorly stifled a yelp. Charon's brow ridges snapped up, silently cursing her stubbornness. He could see her jaw clenched tight and her shoulders were trembling.

"Shit, Rachel you're not  _fine_ ," he took a couple steps towards the difficult little smoothskin and she retreated just as quickly. Rachel was pale, he realized. Too pale and her shakes where getting worse. "Let me see the damage I caused."

"It's nothing, it's not your fault, I'll be okay until we get to Megaton," she babbled, trying to inch away from him but he noticed she had one arm behind her back, hefting some of her packs weight away from her spine.

" _Yeah_ ," he drawled sarcastically, "And my ass is a smooth as a new born baby."

Rachel snorted and then sighed when he just glared at her with his arms crossed over his chest. " _Fine_ , I'm pretty sure my armor got scorched and I hit the bottom of the river when I went down. Got gravel into whatever  _minor_  burns or scraps I picked up during the fight. I'm gonna have to have it all dug out before I can use a stimpak. Right now we're losing daylight but I'll go find a doctor as soon as we get to Megaton, happy?"

"Almost, let me carry your pack too. I don't want you to grind gravel in any deeper and pass out half way there." He really didn't want the most decent employer he'd ever had to die before the week was out. That would be fucking embarrassing.

Rachel bit her lower lip, something he'd noticed she did a lot when she was considering something. Then she shrugged off her bag and handed it to her ghoul companion with only a small wince to show the movement had hurt her.

Charon now had a pack slung over each shoulder and while it was a little awkward the relieved sigh Rachel let slip made the extra uneven weight well worth it. She was something else. Together they found a bridge to crossed the river on and headed in the direction of Megaton.

Forty-five minutes into the walk Charon had talked Rachel into using her only Med-x dose and while she complained about wasting supplies it was gratifying when the smoothskins breath went from ragged and pain riddled to shallow and determined.

Charon caught himself thinking that it was a good thing she was bat shit insane. Most people would have demanded they stay and take care of the wounds right then, not willing to endure the pain or risk of infection even though that whole area was crawling with mutants and raiders. The last thing they would have needed was another gun fight half way through picking gravel out of her flesh. Of course, she said the wounds weren't that bad. Of course, the ghoul was confident she was lying.

The red head was dead on her feet when Stockholm shouted out a _who goes there_? From the top of the wall.

She waved up at him, calling back unenthusiastically "Hey, it's me, open the damn door."

Stockholm waved back but didn't pressed the button right away, "Holy Fuck kid, who's that with you? He's gotta' the  _biggest_  damn ghoul I've ever seen."

She scowled; her back was in agony and she felt like her body was on fire. "This is Charon, we're in fuckin' love. My Med-x is wearing off so open this damn gate or I'm coming up there and beating you with your own helmet!"

Unaffected by Rachel's threats Stockholm laughed and hit the switch, calling back down to her as the gate grinded up, "I'm sorry kid, just teasin' you, go get patched up."

Rachel gave the sentry her half assed salute and shuffled into town, leading the way stiffly to her house. She unlocked the door, took four steps inside and fell to her knees in a stiff, slow motion. She growled, sliding the rest of her body flat on the floor. Wadsworth hovered down the stairs, sputtering, "Miss Rachel, might I suggest you seek medical attention immediately."

She waved a hand noncommittally, "Wadsworth, this is Charon. He's going to be living here too okay. Don't attack him or Claws," Charon started when he was reminded of the deathclaw. He set the bags down as he kicked the door closed and unbuckled the flap so Claws could get out. The deathclaw shook and slunk close to his mistress, licking her cheek.

"Rachel," Charon stood near the door, unsure if he should move her to her bed or treat her there on the floor.

"Charon, I feel hot." she mumbled into the floor. The ghoul cursed, the bed would certainly be better. He stepped up and knelt next to her, "Rachel I need you to get up, I can treat you more efficiently if you weren't on the floor."

She turned her head slowly, "You? Oh good, I hear Doc church doesn't do house calls and I don't want to walk all the way over to the clinic."

Charon got her on her feet as slowly and painlessly as possibly. Up the stair they went and then into the little bedroom. She pitched forward onto the mattress with a groan. Charon positioned her as gently as he could manage and pulled off her still soaked boots and socks. The next thing that came off was her plated leather armored leggings. He was surprised to find what could be the smallest little pistol he'd ever seen strapped to her right calf.

He flicked the sheet over her bare legs after the gun and its holster came off and turned to her upper half. Very carefully he tugged the leather armored vest free. She cried out once, muffling the sound with a lumpy pillow as he peeled a melt ring that hand melted into a few layers of skin on her shoulder.

Charon swore when he finally got to her under shirt and bra. The fabric of the shirt was beyond ruined. It looked like it had half melted. The once white cloth had yellowed and turned brittle, the fibbers that were left stuck to her blistered skin. He ended up cutting the stiff shirt to save her the pain of pulling it over her head. He cut the black bra too because the metal hooks had fused together.

If it had been under different circumstances Charon would have enjoyed cutting away the clothes of a women as attractive as Rachel, but right now he just felt guilty. He wouldn't be doing this at all if he had seen the damn car catch fire, if he'd been trying to move her instead of her moving him.

"Christ Rachel," he growled under his breath. Dirt and gravel peppered her blistered and peeling skin. In a couple places where metal had touched skin the wounds oozed. Gravel was embedded into those wounds too.

He took back his earlier conclusion. They should have found a place to barricade so he could have dealt with these burns immediately.  _Fine she'd said…fine my sweet ass_.

"Robot," he barked over his shoulder, "get whatever med supplies you have,"

"Right away sir," he told the ghoul, returning a minute later with a first aid kit. He gave a silent thanks to whatever gods the radiation hadn't killed off when he found three more Med-x doses inside.

Charon gave her two of the shots and then started the long process of picking out the gravel with a pair of tweezers he'd sterilized with the bottle of vodka that had been tucked in the kit. He gave another silent thanks when the girl passed out; the process was a lot easier on both of them after she fell unconscious.

It took over two hours to clean and disinfect her wounds, the satisfying sizzle of peroxide as it burned off the germs said loudly why she'd felt so weak. Finally Charon applied three stimpaks in different places on her back and wrapped her in clean bandages.

Charon felt a bump on his ankle and looked down, the deathclaw looked back at him and then at the bed.

"No, leave her alone." he rasped as softly as he could manage.

Two minutes later he sighed, irritated. He'd watched the deathclaw make several failed attempts to jump up next to the sleeping girl. Charon picked him up, deciding it was better to let the beast get his away instead of him waking Rachel up in his attempts. The ghoul set him on the inside of her legs and growled, "Come get me if she wakes up."

He didn't expect it to understand him but he wanted to say something before he left the room, leaving a two inch crack in the door so he could hear if she started to trash around. In the morning he'd have to go restock the medical supplies, right now he had to change.

The ghoul striped off his damp cloths, using a shirt to pat dry the worst of the water logged patches of his skin, hopping none of what was left fell off. That done he pulled on dry cargos and a black shirt. Hesighed, he wouldn't sleep while she was wounded and defenseless upstairs.

He didn't want to sit in her room and watch over her like a creeper all night either and without orders he felt a little lost. Charon looked around, taking in his surroundings for the first time. It was a decent sized house. Sturdy too. She'd been lucky in receiving it.

The first thing he did was quietly take both his and his employers wet clothes back upstairs, hanging them over the railings. He hung their armor too and unlaced their boots, exposing as much the interior as possible. He hated wet boots too.

He had Rachel's tiny gun in his ruined hand, having set it in the pile along with her cloths. Charon settled onto the floor downstairs, both the traveling bags within easy reach, and he started on her pistol first. He methodically took the weapon apart, wiping the water and grime away from the inner workings. He reached for her rifle when was the pistol was done, cleaning it just as thoroughly.

His mind wander as he worked, shaking his head with irritation at both himself and the girl. He remember the way she'd yanked him desperately away from the car, how she'd refused to leaving him outside with the armored assholes at GNR, and the way she'd stepped in front of Tulips gun. She seemed to be protection him a lot more enthusiastically than he was protecting her and the thought didn't sit well. Why would she bother?

He snorted, because he already knew the answer, " _Because she's bat shit insane,"_


	15. Chapter 15

 

_Why the hell am I on fire_?

It was the first conscious thought Rachel had. It was hard to breathe, she noticed too, her chest felt much too heavy. Her back stung and burned and itched all at the same time. Rachel shifted and hissed softly through her teeth. It was her forearm this time that complained over the throbbing ache of all her other muscles. Her eyes fluttered open and flicked down to identify the cause of this new pain.

Claws lifted his head with a heavy exhale and rolled his long tongue over the shallow lines of blood the welled up on her scratched forearm. She’d had her arm draped over her chest in her sleep and he’d draped himself over her. When she’d moved he’d accidently given her a light graze.

The deathclaw looked up at her as she propped herself up on her elbow, wincing as a much larger ache spread over her back. Claw snorted and rolled off of her stomach. She sleepily scratched his head, rubbing her thumb over one of the bumps that would someday be horns. The deathclaw stretched idly and then he jump to the floor with a thump that was really too quiet given his size.

He left the room and the girl frowned looking after him. Her frown deepened when she sat up, the tattered sheet pooling around her waist. Her bra was gone. Rachel rubbed her eyes and pushed the rest of the sheet away. Considering she didn’t remember how she’d gotten home Rachel wasn’t exactly happy to find herself dressed in only panties and bandages.

She thought hard, trying to untangle her memories from the day before…was it the day before? Had she been out longer?

Rachel remember the flaming car, being thrown into the river, Charon pulling her from the water…telling Stockholm she and Charon were in love?

_That can’t be right_.

Other than a few feverish memories in between she still didn’t remember a whole lot past nearly drowning.

A growl from somewhere else in the house pulled her from her thoughts.

“What?” the ghoul’s voice sounded irritated and sharp, “What do you want? You better hope she lives because I’m not fucking feeding you shit.”

Rachel heard Claws give an annoyed squawk and she rolled her eyes, her companions seemed to like to antagonize each other whenever the opportunity presented itself. It had made for some interesting moments down in the metros on the way back. Some poor chemmed up junkie was going to see them one of these days and take it as a sign of the second coming apocalypse.

“Charon,” she called through the house, glad her voice still had its volume even if it was scratchy. “Where the fuck’s my bra?”

There was a pause and then, “She’s awake? Why didn’t you come get me?”

Another outraged squawk from Claws and she heard the ghouls heavy footsteps on the stairs. Rachel was sitting on the edge of the bed when Charon entered the room, the sheet wrapped around her waist. She had pulled open a filling cabinet drawer and was pawing through it.

“Feel better?” he asked, curt and somehow concerned at the same time.

“I will be as soon as I find some god damned pants,” she answered without looking up. Rachel slammed closed the drawer and opened the one under it.

“You should stay in bed today,” he growled at her, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn’t comfortable telling his employer what to do but she didn’t seem like the kind of woman who sat still very long. “Let me check you back and then you can go back to sleep.”

“Where the hell are you hiding?” she muttered, ignoring him completely. “Here pants… come to Rachel.”

Charon gawked at her, wondering if she’d hit her head in the explosion somehow. “And when you wake up I’ll take you over to the local doctor.” he added, a head injury was outside his area of medical expertise.

“There you are!” she pulled her only other pair of jeans out of the drawer, finally speaking to the ghoul as she shook them out.

“I don’t need to go see anyone else and I’m _not_ staying in be-” she looked up at him and choked on her own sentence. Charon was filling her doorway in nothing but dark cargos that fit him like they were tailored and the thread bare black T-shirt that was a size too small. It was stretched so tightly over his muscled torso that Rachel didn’t need imagination to fill in that spectacular chest.

Charon watched her eyes drift all the way down to his bare feet. The ghoul shifted uncomfortably, if he was still human he would have thought she was checking him out. But now he knew better than to think anything like that.

Rachel was a good enough human being but she was still human. Besides even if he wanted to entertain the remote possibility that she liked what she saw he couldn’t afford to let himself start to think of the girl as anything other than a job. She was his employer for Christ’s sake.

“What?” His snarled question snapped Rachel out of her appreciation.

“Oh, sorry. _I- I_ , um…”

Her shameful floundering was lame, she knew it. But she couldn’t admit she’d been appraising his scalped muscle, the man was built like a brick shit house. He obviously knew what she’d been doing anyway; it wasn’t like she’d been discreet. Rachel scolded herself, not only had she eyed him like fresh meat but she’d made him uncomfortable in the process.

_Nice, Real professional Rachel._

“I-um- How long was I out?” she finally spit out.

“All night,” he told her after a couple seconds of mistrustful glaring and she relaxed, at least he wasn’t to mad that she’d ogled him like a cut of choice Brahmin steak. “It’s about three hours past dawn.”

“Alright,” Rachel stretched, wincing when her back pulled uncomfortably.  “Let me get dressed and then we’ll go find some food,” she told him and he nodded, closing the door behind him as he left. The awkward incident passing by without further comment.

Rachel carefully got to her feet, her balance seemed fine and her morning drunk was wearing off. That helped as her brain shifted from a groggy haze to clarity. She hadn’t slept so long in years, it was making her more bleary than usual. Rachel had never been a morning person but on a normal day she could wake up and manage speech without getting distracted by something as simple as a muscled chest.

She pulled on the washed out, ripped and faded jeans she’d found in her drawer before she gingerly drew a light stretchy tank top over her head.

Rachel was glad that she’d stashed the jean here because she suspected everything in her pack was still soaked. She knew she should deal with that before leaving the house but she was so hungry right now that the idea of laundry before breakfast wasn’t very appealing.

Rachel looked down at herself once she was dressed and sighed. While she was glad for the dry clothes there was a reason she’d left them behind. The wide holes in the knees and the scores up the top of her thighs told of old fights in the wasteland and the worn denim offered no protection from anything. The ass fit, but barley and she felt like she was forever having to yank them up even with a belt.

Rachel finger combed her hair, glad it wasn’t obstinately sticking up at any weird angles this morning. Her hair wasn’t always the most well behaved. Finally Rachel decided she was ready to face the day and stepped out of her bedroom, descending the stairs slowly with a hand against the wall.

Charon looked up from his shotgun when he heard her on the stairs. This time it was his turn to stare. As good as she’d looked when she waltzed into the Ninth Circle she looked even better now.

She wasn’t that stone cold fox that had made Ahzrukhal dance for her. Rachel was softer now, a girl a man might actually be able to get close to without getting bitten. The faded blue denim hugged her in all the right places and the black top did the same. Charon stopped his thoughts before they got out of control.

She looked at him and gave a small smirk as she looked at the damp clothes hanging everywhere. He’d already gotten the laundry taken care of, absolving her of the guilt she would have felt for shirking her chores.

“Thanks for the patch up, think I would have been done if it weren’t for you.”

“You wouldn’t have been hurt if it weren’t for me.” he reminded her quietly, looking back down at the gun in his hands.

“I think your wrong, I was coming back that way with or without you. And I’m glad I was with you because without you I would have been royally fuck…and then killed…and probably eaten,” she told him, “I’d rather take a few burns on my back then fucked, killed, and eaten.”

Rachel slapped him on the shoulder in a friendly way and chuckled quietly as she moved towards the kitchen. The sound stopped abruptly, her laughter cut off as she swore loudly, “Fuck! My back!”

Charon whirled around with wide eyes, “What?! Do you need more Med-X?” he asked, off the floor and at her side in a second.

“No,” she growled the word, confusing him. The confusion only grew when she yanked up the shirt, twisting to try and see her bandaged back, “My Tattoo! I paid five hundred caps for it and it turned out so well! Is it okay? Did it get damaged?” She twisted a little harder, biting her lip against the searing ache along her spine.

Charon shook his head. He’d noticed the state of the tattoo the night before. “It’s not completely gone,” he hedged but she turned to him, already resigned to the fact that it was ruined.

“How bad?”

Charon put a hand on the back of his neck, unwilling to give her a direct answer without first seeing what was left after her skin healed. “Can’t say until the bandages come off, the skin should be healed enough tonight to tell.”

Rachel sighed, tugging the shirt back down. “You’re right,” The red head bit her lip and changed the subject.“I got some spare boots that might fit you. I was gonna trade ‘em later but if they fit you can have them.”

Rachel dug the boots in question out of a locker before pulling on her own spares. The boot were a little small on the ghoul but he said they be fine for right now. Rachel promised they’d hunt up some better ones for him later and then they left the house, leaving Claws with Wadsworth.

Rachel led the way to Moriarty’s, warning the ghoul that the man was an old Irish bastard. Charon hadn’t looked very concerned.

Opening the door she was met with the smell of old cigarettes, booze and humans. It reminded her alot of the last night she’d spent with Boone.

“Hey you’re back,” called a familiar raspy voice. Rachel grinned cockily, sliding onto her climbed barstool.

“Did you ever doubt me?” she asked, glancing back towards her bodyguard. Charon wasn’t beside her like she’d expected, Rachel looked around and found him leaning against the far wall by the door.

Before she could ask him what was up Gob spoke from behind the bar, surprised when his eyes fell on the man Rachel was looking at. “Charon?”

The girl looked between the ghouls as Charon gave one curt nod to her favorite bartender.

“Never thought I’d see you out of the Ninth Circle,” Gob looked nervous and that confused her more.

Charon snorted, “Neither did I, Girl’s got my contract.”

Rachel lifted one eyebrow; she hadn’t heard him speak so gruff since he’d been in the Ninth Circle. Of course they really hadn’t been anywhere public either. Other then GNR and Charon hadn’t talked much there. She didn’t need to ask if they knew each other, even if Gob hadn’t said his name Charon didn’t talk to people he didn’t know unless he was threatening them.

“Charon come sit down, we’ll get some food. Relax,” She told him and he obediently shrugged away from the wall where he’d been watching the bar. Once he’d settled in next to his mistress Gob dropped a bottle of irradiated water on the bar in front of Charon and purified in front of Rachel.

They both thanked him, Rachel by saying it and Charon by nodding. Rachel ordered food, getting noodles and them each some squirrel on a stick. Gob left to grab the food and she heard soft footsteps descended the stairs. Rachel glanced behind her more out of habit then interest and brightened at the sight of the other redhead.

“Nova, how business?”

The woman laughed, “Jericho alone keeps my rent paid,”

Rachel snorted and gestured to the stool on the other side of her. Nova gave a pointed look at Charon when she sat down. “I see you’ve been making Friends,” she drawled with a wicked grin.

“Yeah, I’m good at that.”

Gob came back, setting down the meals for his early morning patrons. “Nova, food?”

“Sure Honey,” she purred, and when he came back with a bowl of sugar bombs for the woman he leaned on the bar in front of them.

“So, what happened out there?” he asked, glancing at the bandages peeking out from under her shirt.

Rachel waved a dismissive hand, “Just a car explosion, no big deal.”

“ _What!”_ Both the whore and ghoul exclaimed and Rachel indulged them. She told the pair about her trip GNR and Underworld, and the trouble they’d encountered on the way back. Charon noticed that she painted him like a hero to her friends and he wished that she’d tell them the whole truth.

“Are you sure you’re alright Honey? How your back?” Nova was concerned but Rachel just waved her off. Nibbling at whatever it was skewered in the stick. She trust Gob not to feed her anything gross but at the same time she’d never seen a squirrel in the wastes.

“I’m fine, a little stiff but there’s not helping that. Charon did great work,” She took a sip of water as Nova glanced over at the stoic ghoul. She opened her mouth to speak but the sound of heavy boots and a bellow cut her off.

“What the hell are you two yammerin’ about? I don’t pay you to stand around all damn day-” Colin stopped ranting abruptly when Rachel swiveled on her stool, leaning back with her elbow on the bar as she stared him down.

“Colin,” Rachel drawled the man’s name,“you shouldn’t get your panties in a twist so early, it’s not good for you. We came in for some breakfast, but if you feel I’m a distraction to your employees then tomorrow I’ll take my caps over to The Brass Lantern,” her voice was even, light and threatening all at the same time.

“Nay, Tis’ no trouble lass.” Colin smiled nastily, spreading his arms as if to welcome her. “Why would I want one of my most lucrative customers to wander down the hill? Stay awhile, have a drink, chat away with my employees. I’m sure they won’t let their work go unattended while ye’ yammer on about ur grand adventures.” Colin was threatening too, but not her. If she pushed him to far she had a feeling Gob and Nova would get the worst of it after she left.

Rachel pushed her empty noodle bowl away after she spun back to the bar. Colin retreated into his office, closing the door behind him. She glared at the door, muttering darkly under her breath, “Just give me a reason boy-o,”

Charon grunted, indicating that he’d heard but the others just looked at the door. The last thing she did was pull Gob’s letter from her pocket and place it under her caps on the bar.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later Rachel paid a visit to Moira, trading in what little salvage she had and buying Charon a bed. She also got a couch, living room chair and a coffee table. Instead of having Moira deliver the furniture later she and Charon lugged it over themselves. Less chance of the erratic woman spotting Claws that way.

When they finally got home Rachel counted their caps and growled, she only had 209 left. They needed to find some work. She’d been a courier and a Merc before, she’d been a farm hand and done odd jobs. She fondly remembered a week and a half when she’d been seventeen she’d danced at Gomorrah on the Vegas Strip.

She’d run up a rather impressive debt at one of their black jack tables and she’d ended up working it off. That had been fun but unfortunately full time dancers also were required to provide guest with more private… _entertainment_. While she didn’t mind the occasional roll in the hay with a stranger she also liked the ability to pick and choose.

Charon came back down the stairs pleased that his bed was tucked against the wall of his new room. It was lumpy and the frame had a little rust on it like everything else in the wasteland but it was _his_. He was coming down to thank his mistress but stopped after catching the look on her face.

“Rachel?” he asked, not sure if the scowl on her face was directed at him or something that had happened while he’d been upstairs. She blinked and snapped her eyes up to meet his.

“Yeah?”

He didn’t know if he should ask what she’d been thinking about so he stuck to his original course of action. “Thank you.”

The red head blinked, confusion washing over her face. At least she wasn’t displeased with anything he had done.

“For the bed,” he elaborated, nodding in the general direction of his room.

“Oh, yeah of course. I wasn’t going to make you sleep on the damn floor.” She told him with a smirk. Rachel gathered up the caps she’d strewn over the coffee table while she continued to talk, “We only have two hundred and nine caps. That’s not going to keep us or our guns fed for very much longer. Not to mention Claws.”

Rachel knew she needed to start feeding her pet more. If her knowledge of the beasts were right he’d be full grown in a little over two years. That was a lot of material intake.

“Teach him to hunt,” Charon rasped, feeling the clothes hanging from the second story. Rachel looked at him, the suggestion was so simple, she should have thought of it on day one.

“How?”

The ghoul shrugged, “How would its mother have?”

Rachel thought, chewing softly on her lower lip, “I don’t know. I didn’t spend a whole lot of time around deathclaws. Maybe…there’s a book?” it sounded stupid as soon as the words fell out of her mouth. Who on earth would have written a book on deathclaws.

Charon snorted, “ _Sure_ ,”

“That sounded very sarcastic,”

“It was.” He told her, tugging their dry armor free, folding the garments as he went.

Rachel watched the big ghoul take care of the laundry. It was almost comical seeing a man so very clearly built for combat doing household chores, even when the reason why he had to do them was embarrassing. She should have never walked them into a group of raiders, but the fact that she could trust him to take care of things on the rare occasion that she did something carless was nice. It had been a long time since she trusted somebody other than Boone to watch her back.

“Charon?” Rachel asked softly,

“Yes?” The ghoul looked over his should but she didn’t meet his eyes.

“Thanks,” she told him, looking at her hands. “For saving me.”

Charon growled, suddenly uncomfortable, “That’s my job smoothskin,”


	16. Chapter 16

“Fetch!” Rachel yelled, throwing a mangled stick as far as she could across the scrubby wasteland dirt. Claws scrambled after it while Charon shook his head at the nonsense that was happening in his presence. They’d taken the deathclaw out of town an hour ago, moving around the wall until they were well out of sight of Stockholm.

“This is not productive,” the ghoul growled, arms crossed over his broad chest.

“It’s certainly not.” She agreed with a grin, “but it’s a whole lot of fun!”

Claws was running back, skidding to a stop in front of her and dropping the slobber covered stick on her boots. She laughed, picking it up and holding it out to Charon. “You should give it a try.”

“Is that an order?” he asked flatly, cocking one brow ridge.

She scowled at him half heartedly and Charon took a very small amount of satisfaction knowing that he’d vexed her. “You know it’s not.”

“Then I decline.” He was being stubborn but Rachel didn’t push him, she just shrugged and flung the stick again.

It was a little after noon and the sun beat down on their armored bodies. They’d originally planned on finding something to feed Claws but somehow his new mistress had gotten sidetracked by the silly stick game.

Charon wiped sweat from the back of his leathery neck and shook his head again before he returned to scanning the horizon. At least he wasn’t stuck against the damn wall in The Ninth Circle. Watching a girl play fetch with her beast was better than watching drunks fall asleep even if the activity was a giant waste of time.

“Sit.” Charon heard the order and glanced over at the red head even as he started to slide obediently the ground. Charon cursed at himself under his breath and straightened immediately when his milky eyes found her. Rachel had the stick in her hand and was pointing to the hard packed ground at her feet. She had been talking to the deathclaw.

The deathclaw cocked his head, not understanding why she wasn’t throwing the mauled stick anymore.

“Claws sit,” She repeated, pointing again. She smiled at him and bent, pushing him down awkwardly while repeating the word again. When she had him down her smile widened and she praised him. “Good Boy, who’s my good little predator?”

He squawked in a way that sounded pleased and jumped back to his feet.

“Claws, sit,” She commanded, pointing down. Claws cocked his headed again and then, hesitantly, lowered himself to the ground. He was actually lying down but since deathclaws aren’t made for sitting on their haunches Rachel accepted it.

She clapped she handed, delighted. “Good boy! Close enough!”

Rachel looked over her shoulder at Charon, “Impressed that I’m an amazing deathclaw trainer?”

He snorted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “I’d be more impressed if he could feed himself.”

“He will, as soon as I figure out how to teach him to hunt.” Rachel smiled at Claws, scratching the top of his head.

Charon _was_ impressed actually but if she wasn’t going to order it out of him then he wasn’t going to say it. He’d rather chew off his own arm than boost her ego any more than it already was.

“Boone would be impressed.” she told him, “After I explained that I wasn’t mentally disturbed for training a deathclaw in the first place.”

Charon privately thought that it was a good chance he and this Boone person would get along. “If I may, who is Boone?”

“My father, or as close as you can get to that without biology involved. I was…fifteen I think when I stumbled into Novac, this little settlement near New Vegas. It was almost dawn, or so I’m told. I was in real ruff shape and don’t remember much. I’d gotten stung by something big and poisonous that the Capital Wasteland thankfully doesn’t host. Most of my blood was already on the ground by the time I’d crawled into view of the settlement.”

Rachel looked up to see if the ghoul was listening, she half hoped he wasn’t but he was looking at her so she went on. “I collapsed somewhere in front of the sniper nest while Boone was on duty. He brought me to his home and handed me off to his wife. Guess they decided I wasn’t much of a threat because he was always protective of her. Long story short I got better and found the parents I never had.”

Charon nodded, his face was carefully blank. He didn’t want her to think he felt pity for her. He wasn’t good with emotions and there were definitely emotions swirling behind her eyes. Spurred by self preservation in the face of a weepy woman he asked a follow up question. “So his wife, do you consider her your mother?”

Rachel bit her lip, quiet for a moment before answering. “I did, Carla…she’s gone now,” her face went very still and her eyes shifted towards the west. Her stare was so intense that Charon actually looked that way too but he couldn’t see anything worth attention.

The ghoul wondered what exactly had happened to make the woman in front of him look so sadden. He wanted to ask, it was possibly the first time he’d ever really wanted to know anything personal about an employer, but the pain welling up on her face stopped the question. Instead he went with distraction.

“Rachel,” He said it softly, “Your killer wants you.”

Rachel blinked, shaking her head as she came back from wherever it was that she’d gone. She looked down and smiled, the agony in her golden eyes fading as she picked up the stick at her feet.

* * *

 

 

“Claws,” Rachel called, slicing open the small mole rat Charon had killed a minute earlier. “Dinner time.” The smell of warm blood and the inviting gesture from the girl was all the command Claws needed.

Rachel and Charon both watched him tear into the fresh meat. He ate over a quarter of it. When he was done they butchered the rest for him. Claw had eaten a lot more than Rachel had thought he was going to. It meant that she’d _really_ been under feeding him. It also meant that his intake would only increase as he got bigger.

“What the hell am I gonna do with a full sized deathclaw?” she muttered to herself. Charon stepped up to walk evenly with her, choosing to take her mutter as a question directed at him.

“You’re going to have to tell the town leader about it eventually,”

“Sheriff Simms is going to _love_ this,” She growled, “Actually I’m surprised he hasn’t found us yet to give you his welcome speech. He met me at the gate on day one.”

“Maybe you should wait until he owes you,” Charon suggested as they rounded the domed outer wall. She waved when Stockholm noticed them and he waved back. Rachel sighed, “I think you’re right, he already gave me a house for disarming the bomb and I don’t think that alone is going to cover letting me keep a deathclaw in town.”

The gate slid open and they were met by Sheriff Simms.

“Speak of the devil,” Rachel whispered under her breath. Turning to face the man with a smile pinned on her face. He smiled back but his eyes were on Charon. The big ghoul returned his stare, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Rachel,” he greeted easily. “I see you’ve made a friend.”

She nodded, keeping her expression bright while she prayed Claws would stay hidden. “I have. This is Charon, he’s my new bodyguard.”

Sheriff Simms nodded, turning his attention to the ghoul, “Mind if I have a word?”

Charon glanced at Rachel, as his employer what really matter was whether or not she minded. Simms noticed both the look and the girl’s small frown. “Just the same little welcome speech I give everyone that comes into town.”

She sighed but nodded, hyper aware of the deathclaw weighing her bag down on her back. “Charon, I’ll be in the house when you’re finished.”

Charon watched Rachel walk away at a brisk pace. When she was out of earshot Simms cleared his throat and held out a gloved hand, “Sheriff Lucas Simms.”

Charon grasped the offer hand a gave the man a single hard shake, growling “Charon,”

When he didn’t offer up anything else the dark man continued. “Now, I pride myself on knowing what’s going on in my town. That includes _who_ is in my town.”

Charon nodded, it made sense and from what he’d see so far Megaton looked like it might be nearly as safe as Underworld. The Sheriff did a good job protecting his little scrap of humanity.

“You’re a merc?” Simms asked,

“Girl hired me in Underworld.” I wasn’t exactly a lie and he didn’t think anybody other than Rachel should know about his contract. The less people who knew, the safer it was.

“You work under anyone I might have heard of?”

The ghoul was fairly sure the man was asking if he worked for Talon Company. While some of his previous employers had been evil asshole he’d never had to work for anyone part of a bigger organization. “I’m a private contract.”

Simms smirked, apparently he liked the ghouls answers. “Good, well welcome to Megaton. Some people will growl at having another ghoul in town but stay out of trouble and we’ll get along just fine.”

 

 

* * *

 

Rachel closed the door behind her and set her pack on the couch, letting Claws out. He stretched and jumped to the floor, wandering into the kitchen. He sniffed a few places on the floor and then curled up under the sink. After his big meal apparently he was going to take a nap.

“If you sleep now you’ll get fat.” she warned but he happily ignored her.

With a sigh she looked around, she really wanted to sneak back outside and listen to what Charon and Simms were talking about. Instead she dug in her pack, picking out interesting bits of salvage until she found a forgotten holotape near the bottom. She’d found it about half way between here and New Vegas tucked under the seat of a rusted car.

Rachel hadn’t been able to play it then but she’d put it in her pack anyway for curiosities sake. She’d notice a slot behind her Pipboy screen that looked like a holotape player and if that didn’t work maybe she could find one at Moira’s.

Rachel slid the tape into the slot and smirked when it clicked into place. She hit the play button as she flopped down on the couch, getting comfortable. The Pipboy display labeled the Holotape _On the Road._  Rachel wasn’t exactly sure what that meant but as sound poured out of her speaker her eyes widened. The music was unlike anything she’d ever heard. The tempo was fast and the woman singing sounded like a person Rachel would have gotten along with.

The first song was just ending when the door opened and Charon strolled in. Rachel turned the volume down and looked up at him, “How’d it go?”

“Simms is a good man,” The ghoul said, eyes moving to her Pipboy, “What are you listening too?”

“I found this holotape in a car on the way here, just listening to it now. The music is great. Three Dog should play songs like these.” She said, turning the volume back up so he could hear it better. He sat down on the other end of the couch with his shotgun in his lap, slowly taking the weapon apart has he talked with her.

“You could sell the songs to him,” he suggested and she looked up, eye bright with the possibility.

“I could, maybe we could find more good music, stuff that survived the war. Maybe some of the old vaults would have music in them, are there many vault around here?” Rachel was excited, leaning forward as she tapped her toes along with the beat.

“A handful, they’re dangerous.” he warned. From what he understood it was better to be over prepared when it came to scavenging in the local vaults.

“I’m sure it’s nothing we can’t handle. You’re a one man army and I can hold my own, what do you say? Next time we’re near a vault we check it out?” She asked but he didn’t know why, he’d go wherever she directed. It wasn’t like he had a choice.

“As you wish,”

“Are there any vaults near here?”

“I believe vault 101 is only a mile or two away, but I understand it is populated.” He told her, using an old rag to wipe a bit of grit out of the guns gears.

“That’s okay, maybe they’d be up for some trade. I’ve never been in a vault before.”

Charon wasn’t sure the people in 101 would even let them in but he didn’t say anything. It didn’t hurt to let his mistress be excited about something for a day. And it wouldn’t benefit either of them to argue the point.

 

 

* * *

 

Rachel played that holotape all day, it had ten tracks on it and they ranged in genre and time period. Charon thought whoever had made the tape would have like his mistress since she seemed to like all the songs on the playlist. He even recognized a few himself, the lyrics stirring two hundred year old faded memories.

“Hey Charon, it’s after eight. You wanna go over to Moriarty's? I feel like a drink or five.” Rachel was lying on the couch upside down, her head dangling towards the floor and her legs hooked over the back rest. She was bored out of her mind.

“If you wish.” He told her, setting aside to pistol he’d been cleaning.

Rachel was across the room in seconds, ready to go socialize with the other Megaton residents. Charon slung his shotgun over his shoulder and dutifully followed her along the rickety metal walkways leading to the Saloon. Light and noise poured outside when she opened the door, the smoke filled saloon was packed.

Charon immediately moved to lean against the wall and Rachel made no move to make him follow her. He didn’t have to interact with anybody if he didn’t want too. She noticed that from his position he could see everyone and keep an eye on the door at the same time.

Rachel snaked a barstool when somebody got up and she grinned at Gob when he turned to his newest customer.

“Hey kid, need a drink?” he asked, setting a fresh Nuka-Cola infront of Billy Creel.

“I do need a drink, a whiskey and a beer,” she told him loudly over the din in the room. More than a few people had noticed her come in with her companion and the glance where equally split. There was both distrust and disgust, maybe even some curiosity, when the people glanced at Charon. Glances directed at Rachel held a lot more desire, lust and a little suspicion.

Gob set down her drinks and she held the beer out in Charon direction. He left the wall long enough to retrieve it and mutter thanks before he was back in position, eyes tracking the people near his mistress.

Rachel took a sip of her whiskey, enjoying the way the liquid burned down her throat.

“Hey asshole,” a gruff voice slurred next to her. Rachel looked to her left and found Jericho seated next to her, she hadn’t realized he was the one slumped on the bar near her elbow. The Ex-raider looked her up and down with a cigarette perched between his lips.

“Hey, how your head?” she asked in her sweetest voice. She was actively antagonizing him and Rachel didn’t know the man well enough to know how he was going to react but with Charon less than twenty feet away she was willing to risk poking him a little.

“Bitch,” Jericho spat and finished off his drink, “Been a long time since I got knock on my ass. Never by a fuckin’ girl.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow, draining her own glass. He didn’t sound angry but it was hard to tell with drunken man sometimes. “So, you gonna be lookin’ for a rematch some dark night when I’m all by my lonesome?”

“I ain’t that stupid. I got a good thing here in Megaton. Besides,” he flipped his hand at Gob to get the ghouls attention, “I don’t need to fight ya’ to put ya’ on your back.”

“So what now?” Rachel asked with a cocked eyebrow, she was finding herself actually liking the grisly old bastard.

“Now we drink to a decent knock out, if we were raiders I’d be dead and you’d be leadin’ the gang. But since were _decent folk_ let’s sit down and knock enough back to sing Butcher Pete on the bar.” Gob finished with the people he’d been serving and made his way over, glancing uncertainly between Rachel and Jericho. “What can I get ya?”

“Two more whiskeys,” he growled and Gob quickly refilled their glasses.

Rachel picked hers up, “It’s gonna take a lot of whiskey to get me to fuckin’ sing, you buyin’?”

Jericho raised his glass in her direction. “Mine. To you being a fuckin’ bitch.”

Rachel laughed raising her own glass. “To you being a fuckin’ asshole.”

They clinked glasses and drank. And drank. Four more generous glasses and a lot of prodding from Jericho and a few other people in the saloon had Rachel on her feet. She was way past buzzed but her balance was still decent when she raised her hands, declaring to the crowded room, “Fine you bastards, I’ll give ya a show.”

Rachel hoisted her ass onto the bar and then jumped on her feet, everyone in the bar laughed, whooping and clapping. She grinned cockily at them, waving a dismissive hand at Gob who was speaking to her.

“Rachel!” he pleaded. “You’re gonna fall, you should get down.”

“It’ll be alright, if I fall get Charon to drag my ass home.” She laughed and shook her hips, eyes sweeping over the crowded bar. “Alright, I- I got a good one, found it this mornin’.” She hit a few buttons on her Pipboy, bring up the first song from the holotape, it was the one she’d memorized the most of. She cranked the volume all the way up, it went a lot louder then she thought it would and wondered for a half a second if Moira was responsible.

Grinning like only drunk woman could she moved her body with the beat, belting out the words.

_“You got the bullets;_

_I got the gun._

_I got a hankerin' For gettin' into somethin'._

_I hit the bottle;_

_You hit the gas._

_I heard your '65could really haul some ass.”_

People whooped and any kind of nervousness that was left in her inebriated brain disappeared. Her flashed a grin, picking up a half empty beer and singing into it.

Charon had watched the whole thing unfold, and even though he didn’t like her up on the bar while drunk off her ass he didn’t move. She was having fun and Rachel was in no real danger so he didn’t feel the need to interfere.

_“I'm feelin' frisky;_

_You're feelin' good._

_I guess the whiskey_ _,_

_Is doin' what it should._

_I got the cigarettes;_

_You got a lighter,_

_And when the sun goes down we'll start a little fire,”_

He watched her dance on her makeshift stage, people laughing and egging her on. She was eating the attention up. The song was decent and she wasn’t a half bad singer, he noted. He also noted that Colin had appeared in the doorway of his office.

The Irish man scowled at Rachel’s ass wiggling on his bar but he didn’t make a move to pull her down. Charon wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not and kept an eye on the other man just in case.

Gob was staring up at his mistress in complete and total awe, the glass and rag in his hands forgotten. The awe was mixed with a little fear, probably fear of what Moriarty was going to do to him for letting the drunken girl climb onto the bar in the first place.

When the song was over she hit a button on her Pipboy to make the music stop and she laughed wildly. Colin moved towards her and so did Charon, discreetly making his way towards the bar while Colin yelled over the crowd, “Just what the hell do ye think yer doin’?”

“Dancing,” Rachel laughed, not registering at all that Moriarty was furious that she was still standing on his bar. Rachel flung her hand out, gesturing to the crowded room. “Now everyone wants to buy me a drink, Right?”

Men hollered and Charon growled under his breath. She didn’t need any more to drink tonight; she was going to hurt herself if she kept this up. Rachel was apparently one of those drunks that thought they could do anything suggested to them. Her show on the bar was proof of that.

“Get yer pretty little arse off of my bar,” Colin rumbled, not so angry now that he could smell caps. Somebody must have passed her a drink because there was another whiskey in her hand. She knocked in back in two gulps, bending to setting the glass down and pitching forward, tumbling head first towards the floor.

Charon lunged forward and caught her arm, just keeping her from smacking her head against the hard floor. People laughed, as he got her on her feet. Rachel stumbled and straightened with her hands out for balance, “I’m okay.”

The ghoul watched her take a step and grabbed her arm again when she stumbled over her own boots. “Rachel, I think it is time you went to bed.”

She waved a hand, her words starting to lose structure. “Psh, the nikeish young, lets get amofer drink,”

“No more drinks for me.” Charon growled, trying to think of ways he could get her to follow him. Rachel staggered towards the bar, Jericho grabbing hold of her other arm when she almost didn’t make it.

“hink, ya otter icken too ur zombee’” he slurred, grinning like an asshole as he looked down her shirt. Charon growled and then noticed Rachel had gone pale and quiet. _Fuck_.

“You gonna puke?” He asked her and she nodded. Rachel paused and then shook her head, “Nope, um Okay.”

“Get her the hell outta here before she does,” Moriarty ordered.

 Charon sighed, slowly guiding her towards the door. She stumbled three times but they made it outside. The ghoul look over the gauntlet of rickety high off the ground ramps and decided there was no way in hell she was going to make it to the other side of town on her own without breaking her neck.

“ooo, the wooldish spin-in-y,” she mumbled with a giggle. That decided it. He bent quickly, throwing her over his shoulder before she fell to her death. He hooked his arm behind her knees tightly so she wouldn’t wiggle off and started forward. She laughed as he carried her though the sleeping town and Charon was thankful she hadn’t ordered him to put her down.

Rachel watched the ground move under her. “Wow, Charon ur ass is sooo tight I could bounce caps off it,” she declared whe they were half way back to her house and he rolled his eyes. She was fuckin’ cocked.

“That,” he told her, hitching her up higher on his shoulder, “Would be a waste of money.”


	17. Chapter 17

“Sit Claws,” hissed the girl next to him and he obeyed immediately. A man in the telltale blue and Yellow of a vault could be seen trudging up the road from where the three companions were. Rachel gave the deathclaws head a pat as she tracked the blue figure moving towards them.

It was unlikely that he was a raider in disguise or anyone else for that matter. Vault suits offered little protection and stuck out brightly against the sun bleached landscape. Nobody but the people who lived in the vaults actually wore the suits.

His head moved from one side to the other and spotted her. The vaultie put a hand on his 10mm and she waved, trying to signal that she wasn’t a hostile. The vault man seemed to have taken the wave as come-on-over, because he suddenly veered off the road. There was no way in hell he wasn’t going to see her three foot deathclaw if he got much closer, in the last two weeks since Charon had had to carry her home the beast had doubled in size.

“Claws, take a walk,” she hissed as Charon shrugged off the wall he’d been leaning on, shotgun in hand. Claws looked at her and then snorted, stalking off into the wasteland. It was a command she and Charon had both worked to teach him. He’d go out of sight until either Rachel or the Ghoul called him back. “Wait Charon, it’s a vault dweller. You’ll probably be his first ghoul and I don’t want him to panic and shoot you.”

“If he shoots me I’ll shoot him back.” He answered easily.

“That’s fine,” Rachel flashed a grin at him, “but try not to kill him.”

Charon nodded settling back against the wall with his eye alert. Rachel turned to the approaching man, he was more of a kid really. His dark skin and black hair was shiny under the dust of the wasteland and while they were probably around the same age his inexperience showed as clearly as the blue suit he wore.

She tucked her hands loosely in her pockets and strolled forward to meet him, a friendly smile on her face. She’d never met anyone from a vault before but from what she’d heard they were easily spooked and quick to use their weapons.

When the kid saw her smile he returned it hesitantly, glancing at the big dome and then back at her. She watched him give her the up and down and he relaxed a little. Rachel’s didn’t know how she felt about that, she wanted to look like she could kill a man if she wanted to but at the same time she didn’t want a get shot by the green little vaultie.

“Hey there vault boy, what brings you out into the wasteland?” She asked pleasantly.

“I’m- well- how did you know I was from a vault?” He stammered. Rachel cocked an eyebrow and looked pointedly at his vault suit. He looked down at himself and blushed under the dust on his face. “Oh, um where can I find a town called Megaton?”

“You’ve found it, this is Megaton. The gates are on the other side.” she told him, the kid was tired and probably dehydrated. The dark circles under his eyes told her how exhausted he was and there was a little blood streaked on his cheek from a bruised abrasion. “You alright? First time out of the vault?”

The boy nodded, “I knew what direction to go in when I left the vault but I got turned around, I was attacked by a giant fly and got lost. I have been outside since yesterday morning; maybe I shouldn’t have volunteered to come out here.”

Rachel thought he was lucky he only ran into a bloatfly after wandering around for two days but she didn’t say that, he didn’t need another blow to his confidence right now. Rachel doubted he had any caps and she’d heard earlier that day from Gob that the common house was full. _Poor kid_.

“What’s your name?” she asked him, curiously.

“Freddie, Freddie Gomez.” He offered his shaky hand politely and Rachel shook it _, manners in the vault must be a lot more embraced than out here._

“Well, I’m Rachel and tall dark and silent over there is Charon, he’s my bodyguard,” She told him, jerking her head back towards the ghoul Freddie hadn’t noticed yet. Charon nodded at the kid who was gaping at him with wide eyes.

“Ah…um…nice t-to meet you.” the kid choked out, taking two steps towards the ghoul and offering a polite if now visibly trembling hand. Charon raised the ridges that had once donned eyebrows and stepped forward to accept the hand shake in spite of himself.

Charon released the hand after the same hard shake he’d given Sims and stepped back. The kid’s reaction was unexpected to say the least. He hadn’t even asked what the ghoul _was_ before offering a hand. People in the vaults were supposed to be crazy but _hell_.

Freddie kept his wide eyes on Charon for a long minute and jumped when Rachel put a hand on his shoulder.  “He’s a Ghoul,” she told him helpfully. “It’s something that happens to people sometimes when they get exposed to too much radiation. Instead of dying they become ghoulified.”

“Oh, yeah. One came to our vault once. He wasn’t nearly so big though.” he told them, glancing around nervously. “I’m sorry it happened to you.” He added, looking at Charon again.

Charon just shrugged. “Shit happens.”

Rachel checked the position of the sun, it was close to dusk and Claws was already off into the wastes for the night. Leaving the deathclaw outside was something that had started happening when he got too big to smuggle in and out on the town. Rachel deliberated for a minute but she decided to take the kid in for the night. He reminded her of Claws when she’d first stumbled onto him. Lost, scared and hungry.

“Come on boys. Let’s go get some food, yeah?” she asked.

Charon raised an eyebrow at her that she ignored but Freddie nodded, trusting these strangers way too quickly for safety in the wastes. His mouth was already watering at the simple mention of food. He was starving.

The vault kid happily followed Rachel around the dome and Charon brought up the rear with his eyes tracking this new stray his mistress had adopted. He wasn’t going to take the chance that this was a man in disguise who meant to kill his employer as soon as her guard was down. Which it was. How had she survived this long with this unhealthy pension for helping the needy?

As soon as he thought it he felt a twinge of guilt deep in his gut. He used to want to help those people who couldn’t help themselves.  A very long time ago he may have been considered a good man. Before the contract. Before the war. Before humanity destroyed itself. Just…before.

Stockholm waved when he saw them, leaning over the railing to yell down at her, “Rachel, you made another friend I see, are you in love with him too?” he asked laughing, trusting her not to bring anyone destructive into town.

Rachel laughed, blushing just a little. Charon had told her what she’d said in her fever induced state and the sniper had already teased her about it a couple of times. Freddie had gone bright red but she grinned back up the Megaton’s gate keeper, “Absolutely! Now let us in, it’s time for a cold one.”

“If you start singing and I miss it again I’m going to be very upset,” he told the girl, grinning wickedly.

This time Rachel blushed brightly, “Yeah well, that’s not gonna happen again anytime soon. I try not to make an ass of myself more than once a month.” When she’d woken up the next morning and remember what she’d done she almost didn’t leave her house. She couldn’t believe she’d climbed onto the bar and sung like an idiot.

A few people had tried to assure her that she had a good voice but it didn’t help her embarrassment. She’d even gone up to the Saloon and apologized to Moriarty. She hating herself for giving him that even more after she’d seen a fresh bruises on Gob’s cheek bone. The bartended had told her it wasn’t for her stunt but Rachel was positive he was lying.

Stockholm let them through gate and Rachel lead the way to her house. Simms met them on the path and greeted Freddie with a much suspicion as he did every new comer.When Simms said goodnight they did the same and when they entered the house Rachel called out for Wadsworth. He floated down the stairs and greeted them as warmly as a robot could manage. She introduced Freddie and made it clear that he was a guest, not and intruder.

Once she was sure Wadsworth would barbeque the kid she went to the fridge and got two bottles of purified water and a bottle of irradiated. Rachel tossed the irradiated water to Charon and one of the clean waters to Freddie. He fumbled but caught it before it hit the floor and unscrewed the cap hastily, downing half the bottle in one breath.

He gasped, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his vault suit before looking around at Rachel’s sheet metal home. Charon settled his massive frame into a chair, his gun lying casually across his lap while he drank deeply.

Rachel had moved back into her kitchen and poked her head in the fridge, they didn’t have much in the way of food but she could go out and buy some. She didn’t want to take her vaultie into town until she was sure he knew how the stay out of trouble. More than one person in town would jump at the opportunity to extort an innocent greenhorn.

“Charon what do you want to eat?” she asked, glaring at sparse contents of the fridge. When she’d moved in the appliance hadn’t work but Charon had rigged Solar Panels to the roof and they produced enough energy to power the fridge and Wadsworth’s docking station. Before the robot was going outside to charge, sunning himself in the afternoon light. Rachel was glad it was easier for him now. 

“Brisket,” he growled from the chair, he’d started the nightly process of cleaning his gun. Rachel turned, looking at him over her shoulder. “What’s that?”

Charon just waved a hand with an exaggerated sigh, “Never mind smoothskin, it’s before your time.”

Rachel straightened, closing the fridge door slowly. She looked at him sitting there like he did every night but her eyes widened. “Charon? Was that a joke?”

He grunted without looking up from his weapon but she caught one corner of his mouth tip up for a split second and she clapped her hands. The whole exchange was confusing Freddie but he stayed quiet.

“Charon! Your first joke! We have to celebrate! We should have meat, Brahmin for everyone!”

Rachel was out the door before either man could move. Freddie blinked, not sure what to do with himself. So far he’d been standing in the middle of the room like an idiot. Now alone with the ghoul, he felt even more uncomfortable.

It wasn’t that the other man was a ghoul though, it was that even though the girl appeared to be the boss the man was… _cool_. Freddie had never felt like he was cool, even when he’d been a Tunnel Snake he was the low man on the pole. This guy wore self assured confidence like a second skin.

“You can sit down kid,” Charon growled, “I won’t kill you. Not unless you try to kill us.”

“Dose that happen a lot out here? Killing?” Freddie asked and Charon looked up. How this kid had survived this long by himself had to be an actually miracle. Hell, with how readily he’d followed them it was lucky he’d run into Rachel instead of some raider asshole.

“Every day, only the strong survive and all that bullshit.” The ghoul told him.

They were quiet for a few minutes, Freddie watched Charon put his shotgun back together and his hand drifted down to touch the shabby 10mm on his hip. When his farther, Security Chief Gomez, had handed it to him he’d been so proud. It didn’t take him long to realize having a gun wasn’t more good without knowing how to use it.

“You any good with that?” Freddie asked to break the heavy silence.

Charon snapped a final piece into place, running a ragged hand over the worn wood and steel. “I know my way around; you don’t get to be my age without a little weapons skill.”

The door swung open and Rachel strode in with an armful of thin packages. These were presumably the Brahmin steaks she’d gone to buy. She went straight to the kitchen and turned a knob on the stove, they all heard the fridge stutter but after a second both appliances seemed to be running.

Charon turned to watch her work. In the time they’d been together he’d noticed that Rachel was skilled in many areas. Cooking was not one of themhe watched her fiddle with the oven knob and put the meat on a flat cookie sheet. Charon watched her slide it into the oven and had visions of the grease dipping off the sheet onto the heating element. She was going to burn the whole house down left to her own devices.

“Rachel?” he asked, trying not to sound too concerned. “Did you turn on the oven or the broiler?”

Rachel looked at the stove blankly. “What’s the difference?”

Charon stood a little too quickly to be nonchalant about it. “If I may, I would prefer to prepare dinner if you wish to socialize.”

Rachel nodded, knowing Charon wasn’t chatty at the best of time and gratefully passed over the task of cooking to him. He must really enjoy it because he seemed to take over their meals most nights.

 Rachel flopped onto the couch, looking at her house guest. “What’s your vault like?” She asked eagerly, after her excitement about the vaults a few days ago Charon was impressed she’d waited this long. He didn’t stay it though. Instead he rescued the meet from the oven that had been turned up to a temperature guaranteed to dehydrate the meat instead of cook it. He turned off the oven entirely and opted instead for a frying pan on the stove top.

In the living room Freddie rubbed the back of her neck.

 “Cramped, a lot of little rooms and narrow hallways. I’m not good with a gun and I don’t have a good sense of direction but I think I like being outside a lot better. I’ll probably be dead by the end of the week but I won’t feel trapped.” he smiled at her, something giving him a little boost in confidence. “What’s your vault like?”

“I didn’t grow up in a vault,” she told him, a little confused as to why he’d even think that she had. He glanced down and she followed his gaze to her Pipboy, she’d forgotten about it. “Oh! No, I bought this from a trader. I’m not from here in the Capital Wasteland either and the maps are really handy.”

Rachel thought of something else too and blushed, her Pipboy had another feature that was amazing and she’d forgotten about it. She didn’t say anything but made a mental note to give one of her communicators to Charon in case they ever got split up.

“Oh, sorry I just assumed…”

“It’s okay, Freddie why are you out here anyway? You said you volunteered. I thought the vault near here was sealed.” She’d asked Moira about it the day after her bar trip and the woman had told her what she knew about vault 101.

“It is, but we’re working to change that. Some of our resources aren’t going to last much longer and we’re looking for a solution,” He told her, fiddling with his sleeve.

“What do you need?” Rachel asked.

“Mostly parts, and maybe some new residents but that’s Amata’s choice weather anybody who wanted to stay could. She’s our Overseer.”

Charon shifted, talking over his shoulder while the now seasoned meat sizzled pleasantly. “You might be able to set things up with the local trade caravans. They do a good bit of business with most of the Capitol Wasteland settlements. They wouldn’t bring in anyone who would disrupt your vault. They’d want to keep business going. What can you offer them?”

“Safe lodgings, water, medicine. The vault labs produce more than enough to share with the outside. We grow our on food too. We could trade a little of that but our greenhouses don’t grow much more than what we need each year. Do the Caravans have a leader? Do you know where I can find them?”

Rachel shook her head but Charon thought about it. It’d been a long time but when Ahzrukhal had first purchased his contract the Traders were more or less based out of a settlement to the north.

“Canterbury Commons,” He said after shifting through his mind for the name. “Last I knew the Traders set up something close to a headquarters there.”

“Really, how do I get there? Is it far?” the boy asked, leaning forward.

It would take he and Rachel maybe two days’ worth of travel to get to the Commons. It had taken the same amount of time for the kid to make it here from 101. Charon also knew that he’d have to cross some Raider territory and if his memory was right that area had been crawling with giant Ants and Rad Scorpions. Not to mention the Yao Guai and occasional Deathclaw that wandered the full expanse of the Capitol.  “You’ll never make it alive on your own kid.”

Freddie’s face fell but Rachel piped up. “We’ll escort you, you can be an Ambassador from 101 and we’ll be your personal guards.”

Charon grunted something that sounded like agreement, _maybe_. He was the girls guard but if she insisted on helping this kid out it wouldn’t be that far out of his way to protect him too. Besides, after three weeks in Megaton he was getting restless, 70 year chained to a wall will do that.

Rachel was getting restless too, he’d noticed she was a little more forceful asking if people needed things done and their trips out with Claws were getting longer and further away from Megaton.

The kid agreed to the help without hesitation and Rachel declared that they’d leave in the morning. By that time the food was done. Both humans agreed that the meat was good and with the addition of salt the InstaMash Charon had made wasn’t bad either.

Rachel produced a blanket and gave it to Freddie, setting him up on the couch in the living room before she went to bed. Charon followed her up the stairs and before the hour was up the only sounds in the house were the soft snores of sleeping wastelanders.

* * *

 

Settling the strap of her rifle on her shoulder Rachel surveyed their group. Charon looked like Charon, wearing worn but well cared for leather and ready to kick some ass. Rachel had her armor on and assorted weaponry within easy reach, and Freddie looked like he’d gained a couple years over the night.

Rachel had given him some spare armor that fit him pretty good. He had a traveling pack already and although it was small he fit in the supplies she’d given him along with his rolled up vault suit. She’d handed over the new clothes while explaining that half of surviving in the wastes was blending it. What couldn’t spot you couldn’t eat you.

He had his 10mm strapped to his hip and a combat knife in his boot. At this point in time he’d developed a layer of stubble on his chin and he had a pair of sunglasses perched on his nose. Freddie rubbed his newly forming beard self-consciously and tugged a sleeve. He looked up at Rachel, tugging again. “Sorry, I didn’t bring a razor so I can’t shave.”

She shrugged, heading for the door, “You look more rugged with a beard, older. Like a real merc adventurer.”

“Like you’re not a green ass vaultie,” Charon growled and Rachel laughed, pleased beyond belief that Charon was losing some of his stiffness. Charon was an intelligent and even funny man when he slipped up and talked like her partner over her servant in combat.

“ah- thanks?” Freddie adjusted his pack and they headed out into the open wastes. Since they were going to be traveling together and Charon seemed to like the kid she decided that he should have a communicator too. She’d take it back when they parted ways.

“Hold on,” she reached into a side pocket and pulled out two of the watches that Moira had given her. She handed one to each man and explained how they work. Charon glared at her as he put it on his wrist.

“How long have you had these?”

Rachel bit the inside of her lip, “I forgot about them.”

“How have you survived this long?” he growled. He didn’t realize he’d said it out loud until she grinned cockily up at him.

“Luck.”

“My Pipboy doesn’t do this,” Freddie said on her right.

“Mine’s modified; Moira called it a Pipboy 3001.”

“Maybe when we get back I can talk to her about an upgrade.” He mused, fiddling with his own Pipboy.

They walked for twenty minutes and after Megaton was a good distance away Rachel paused and looked around. There was no sign of her pet but he never seemed to be very far away, Claw was good at blending in. So far whenever she called he came running.

“Fred,” She said and Charon turned as well. He gave her a look and then nodded his understanding, turning back to scan the horizon.

“Yeah?”

“I have…a _pet_ ,” she started slowly. She didn’t want him to freak out. “He’s more or less a secret, there’s a lot of fear that surrounds them and really if you ever see one that’s _Not_ Claws…hide and pray it doesn’t find you.”

Freddie was looking at her and while she couldn’t see his eyes behind the glasses his eyebrows were high and he visibly gulped. However, like when he met Charon, he swallowed his fear and nodded.

Rachel stepped back, cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled. _“CLAWS!”_

Normally she’d never be so loud out in the open but somehow nothing hostile ever came her way when she called for Claws.

Maybe it was the smell of deathclaw.

It was probably the smell of deathclaw.

Freddie jumped but didn’t comment at her unexpected volume. They didn’t have to wait long. The sound of feet pounding on the hard packed earth reached them in under a minute. Rachel turned to the northeast, waving as her pet came into view over a bluff.

“Christ!” Freddie swore loudly, stumbling back. Whatever he’d been expecting it wasn’t this creature. It halted right in front of the girl, trusting its nose into her outstretched hands. She rubbed its head lovingly, murmuring that he was a very good boy.

“Claws,” she purred, scratching under his chin and then pointing at Freddie, “This is a new friend, okay? _Friend_.”

Claws looked at the new human and cocked his head. The male smelled like fear but also of mother. She said he was a friend and that judgment was all the deathclaw needed. He stepped to the young man, stretching his neck out to sniff him.

Freddie had never seen a creature this big, the thing came up to his hips and it fingers sprouted long six inch claws. _Claws_ , well the name made sense. “He’s ah- cute?” it sounded more like a question but Rachel nodded with a smile.

“Yeah, They are kinda’ cute when their babies.”

Freddie paled, “Babies? You mean he’ll get even bigger?”

“Yeah,” Charon nodded as Claws moved to him, rubbing his cheek on the ghouls’ leg affectionatly. Charon ignored the animal as he often did, taking to the kid, “Deathclaws have an average height of ten feet.”

Freddie had paled even more behind his sunglasses and Charon chuckled darkly, “Welcome to the Wasteland.”


	18. Chapter 18

“ _I love you_ ,” Rachel said it softly but confidently.

“Really?” The man walking next to her asked in surprise. Behind them Charon snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Well yeah, were you expecting me to say something else?” She cocked an eyebrow.

“I don’t know, it just seems so sudden.” Freddie was nervous just talking about this.

“It is sudden, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.” Rachel assured Freddie, “Look, if you’ve liked this girl for as long as you’ve said then you might as well just tell her how you feel. The worst that can happen is she says fuck off.”

Charon had dropped back for the last fifteen minutes while the two human talked about feelings. The kid apparently was head over heels for one of the girls in his vault and had asked Rachel how he should approach her. Suzie he said her name was.

Having no desire to talk about feelings with the vault kid, or Rachel for that matter, he’d busied himself with Claws a few feet behind. Charon was a weapon and he felt that his choice was the correct one. Feelings were gross. Romantic feelings unnecessarily complicated life and frankly he didn’t see the appeal of long monogamous relationships. Sex was fun. He remembered he used to enjoy sex a lot. But Romance? It was only a means to an end.

“What if I can’t get the words out?” Charon heard the kid ask his employer. It was a valid question. He did stutter a lot when he got nervous. Charon took a few long strides forward. _Feelings_ might be outside of his range of emotional depth but _action._ Actions he could handle.

“Kiss her.” he growled and both his companion turned to look at him.

“W-what? I couldn’t do t-that, she’d be mad.” he paled at the thought. In fact he looked a little green.

“Grab her, put her against a wall and kiss her.” The ghoul growled again firmly, “I’m over two hundred and thirty years old. Fucking _trust_ _me_. Most women like to be shown the men chasing them aren’t fucking pussies.”

Freddie looked at Rachel for conformation and she shrugged. “That’s true enough out here, I think saying it might work better in the vault though.”

Charon grumbled under his breath, dropping back to where Claws was still trailing behind them. When he was younger, before the bombs fell, he’d used a hard kiss in a dark alley to get more than one woman to follow him home at the end of a long night. Charon shook his head to clear the memory, he didn’t like thinking about the past.

Claw stiffened beside him, looking slowly towards the east and stiffing the air. The low growl rumbling in his throat helped Charon bury his foggy memories of a world that no longer existed.

Charon hefted his Shotgun into his hands. “Rachel,” he rasped gesturing with his gun to Claws when she looked over her shoulder at him.

Rachel unslung her own rifle, eyes scanning the eastern horizon. At first she didn’t see anything, and then movement caught her eye and she gritted her teeth. It was a Giant Radscorpion. She pointed it out to Freddie and told him what it was. It clicked its pinches menacingly and Rachel took aim. “Keep your eyes open,” she growled at the vault kid next to her. “These things like to travel in pairs.”

She and Charon both fired into the arachnid, moving quickly back and forth to try and keep it confused. Freddie joined them a minute later. He’d frozen but was able to shake himself out of it. The recoil from his 10mm hurt his wrist but he gritted his teeth and kept shooting.

Between the three of them they made short work of the creature even with it being covered in its armored shell. Thankfully this one hadn’t been traveling with a partner so they hadn’t had an equality big creature sneaking up on them half way through the fight.

“What’s that?” Freddie asked, he sound more curious then afraid and Rachel didn’t turn to look at him as she and Charon worked to remove the creature’s poison gland.

“It’s a Giant Radscorpion; they have this poison that’s worth a good chunk of caps. The poison can also be used by us, it comes in handy.”

“No, you told me about the Scorpion already, I meant what’s _that_?” This time she did look. Gomez was pointing at a short tower in the distance with a blinking white light on top. A couple Gatling Laser Mark II’s were stationed around it behind some fancy looking barriers.

“I don’t know,” She said slowly standing.

“It’s an Enclave outpost.” Charon told them, putting the glands in an empty water bottle before rinsing his hands and knife with vodka. “A couple years ago a military faction called the Enclave invaded. Wanted control of some water purifier near Rivet City. I heard the 101 kid stopped them and now the Brotherhood controls it. These are the outposts where they used to do _research_ on the area wildlife. Ghouls and Humans included. Some pretty sick stuff according to the rumors.”

“101 kid? You mean Anna?” Gomez asked. “We heard a little of what happened but…geez. She really stopped a whole army?”

Charon shrugged. “Couldn’t say but that’s the rumor. Folks damn near worship the ground she pisses on. I heard she left the capitol awhile ago.”

“I met her,” Rachel said suddenly. “On the road. She asked me to let Three Dog know she left.”

Charon nodded, remembering almost fondly how Rachel had manipulated the tin cans guarding D.C’s favorite D.J.

“Would it be worth looting?” Rachel asked, eyeing the glint in the distance.

“Might be, I hear people stay away from these.” Charon told her with a shrug. “They think these outposts are haunted.”

That was all the encouragement she needed, veering off course towards the abandoned outpost. She lifted her rifle and took two well-aimed shots. A smirk curling the corner of her mouth when the Mark II’s were reduced to nothing but scrap metal and scorch marks on the ground.

Freddie hung back a little and watched the two experienced wastelanders pick threw the small camp. They opened boxes, looked behind thing and walked the perimeter. Rachel had a bobby pin and a screwdriver out, picking the lock on a big metal chest.

He heard a soft click and a cocky grin broke over her face when the lid popped open. “Charon, Plasma weapons!”

The ghoul moved to her side and Freddie inched closer, looking at the high-tech weapons with glowing green parts. Rachel pulled out the biggest, grinning like a fool. “This is gonna be worth so many caps,”

“It’s broken,” Charon rasped, pulling what looked like grenades from the crate.

“Yeah, but even broken if we can find some brotherhood guys we can sell this,” Insisted the red head. She reached back into the box and pulled out another smaller weapon.

“Here Gomez, I’m upgrading you.” She told him handing over a strange looking pistol.  “This is a Plasma Pistol, be careful with it because anybody you shoot will probably end up a pile of green goo.”

“r-really?” he asked and she nodded.

“Yeah.”

They finished picking the Enclave’s bones and continued on. The sun was high and as relentless as ever and not a single breath of wind stirred the sparse grass tough enough to survive the environment. Despite the heat and dust rising from their footsteps the four of them were in good spirits. Even Charon hadn’t grumbled in almost two hours.

Claws trotted around Rachel’s legs happily, sniffing her boots and clumps of weeds as they passed.As far as lookouts go Claws was proving to be an excellent one and the scent of deathclaw kept a lot of wasteland creatures away.  All they’d had to fight threw the long day was the single Radscorpion.

They came over a hill and found that the ground dropped off sharply, it was maybe a fifteen foot drop. There was a large building just beyond but Rachel wasn’t looking at the ancient factory in front of them. She was looking over the edge of the short cliff into the rusted out back of a dump truck.

“Rachel?” Charon questioned, watching his employer suspiciously. She had a look of mischief that he could decide with fun for him or a pain in the ass.

She didn’t answer; instead she vaulted over the edge.

“Rachel!” Charon barked, lunging to where his employer had vanished while Gomez scrambled to the edge right behind him. The ghoul knew a fall from this height probably wouldn’t kill her but a broken leg would take days to heal even with a stimpaks.

“What? I’m right here,” she called from below and he grumbled in her direction, glaring over the edge of land. There she was, perfectly fine and picking a Big Book of Science from under a long forgotten skeleton.

That look of mischief she’d had? It was now solidly a pain in his leathery ass.

“You shouldn’t fucking jump off ledges, what if you’d broken your neck?” he growled loudly.

“But I didn’t.” she said brightly, tucking the book into her pack and rifling through the debris under her feet.

“You could have,” he tried to press but Rachel just cocked an eyebrow like she thought he might be getting slow in the head.

“But I _didn’t_ ,”

Charon shook head with irritation. Since she hadn’t actually hurt herself she wouldn’t believe that she’d done anything wrong. Her train of thought drove him crazy sometimes. He watched her climb onto a metal barrel that _may_ or _may not_ contain chemical waste and grip the rusty edges of the dumptruck. She jumped, hoisting herself chest high over the edge before the weight of her stuffed pack dragged her down.

Rachel scowled and climbed back onto the barrel, tossing her pack over the edge first this time. She jumped again, boot skittering over the rusted metal as she tried to lift herself over the edge. Charon could see the large flakes of rust preventing her from getting any kind of grip under her boots and that jagged pieces of metal were catching her clothing, preventing her from lifting herself any further.

The display gave him no end of personal satisfaction.

Rachel fell back on her ass and the men above her laughed. Well, Freddie laughed and Charon smirked with his arms crossed over his chest. The smug smirk was almost the same thing for him and it pushed Rachel’s buttons in a very special way.

“Shut the fuck up.” She growled, irritated more then she should be. Rachel wasn’t good at dealing with embarrassment and there was no way in hell she was going to admit she’d been wrong. Ever.

“You’re stuck.” Charon told her and she scowled harder.

“I am _not_ , I like it in here. It’s protected, thought I’d take a nap.” She flopped down into a pile of debris next to a skeleton and she propped her hands behind her head.

“Do you want help?” Charon asked patiently, that smug superiority still plastered on his face.

“I don’t need help with a nap.” Rachel snipped at her companion, closing her eyes. Charon shook his head and moved back from the edge, following the slope of land that led him around the bluff. Freddie followed, asking, “Is she really going to take a nap?”

“Maybe,” Charon told him. “She’s stuck in there and too proud to admit it.”

“I’m not fucking suck,” she growled from inside her metal prison. “We’re just stopping to have a little lunch.”

Charon shrugged as Freddie bit his knuckle to keep from laughing. Charon sat on the ground with his back leaning against the truck. He opened his pack, finding what he wanted almost immediately and he tossed the boy a package of Yum-Yum Deviled Eggs. Charon ripped open a similar package for himself and settled in to wait for his difficult employer.

“These are pretty good.” Freddie told the ghoul between bites.

Charon grunted and swallowed his mouthful. “You should have tried those 200 years ago.”

A sigh came from inside the truck and Freddie thought he saw the corner of Charon’s mouth tip up for a second. The ghoul glanced back at the rusted metal, “Rachel?”

She was silent for a moment, “I threw my bag over the edge.”

“You did.” Agreed the ghoul, nodding even though she couldn’t see it.

“All my food was in it.” she grumbled, sounding dejected.

“You can get your bag and then return to your _secure location_ ,” He suggested. In this moment he was being more arrogant then he’d ever been with an employer but even if she punished him later have the upper hand even for these few minutes would be worth it.

Watching from a few feet away Freddie smirked, enjoying his food. If he didn’t know better he’d think Charon was having _fun_ tormenting the girl.

Rachel scowled and gritted her teeth. “I _can’t_ ,”

Charon sneered and waved a hand at Freddie who’d begun to snicker. The vault boy bit his knuckle and Charon continued to poke his mistress.

“Why not?”

“Because, _Charon_ , I’m …currently unable to relocate my position due to an inability to proceed outward.” she growled, obstinately avoiding the word she knew he wanted to hear.

Charon got to his feet and shook his head, slapping dust from his pants. “Why didn’t you just say so?” he asked as innocently as he could manage. This was the most enjoyment he’d had in years. “I’ll come _help_ you.”

“You know, for an employee your very disrespectful.” She muttered, too irritated to enjoy his perky attitude.

“As you ordered, _mistress_.” he told her, bowing in her direction.

“I know you’re bowing out there,” Rachel growled as she glared in the direction of her companion’s voice, “And I don’t appreciate it. Now get me out of here.”

Freddie erupted into laughter and watched the big ghoul scale the edge of the dump body easily. He disappeared over the edge and Freddie heard Rachel blow out an irritated breath.

“Show off.” she muttered, “What are you doing?”

“Come here,” he heard the man rasp, “Put your hand here.”

Rachel’s voice was hesitant, “ _Okay_ ,”

“Just grab and pull. I’m sure you know what to do.” Charon sounded like he might be teasing her, if the ghoul teased.

“Char _ooonnn,_ ” she squealed and her head appeared over the edge, Rachel’s fingers wrapped around the lip of the bucket and she hoisted herself up smoothly with Charon giving her a boost. She swung her legs over the edge and jumped to the ground. Rachel stumbling but she recovered her balance before she fell over.

Charon followed easily, and he didn’t stumble when his feet hit the ground. Charon pulled a package of Fancy Lad Snack Cakes out of his bag and tossed them to her. Rachel caught them and tore it open.

“So,” Rachel said brightly between bites, “Think it’s worth checking out this factory. There could be some pretty good stuff in there.”

“What could be inside?” Freddie asked, eager to learn about the outside world.

“Scrap metal, Ammo, maybe a few meds, food. Places like this will have first aid kits and if we are lucky they will have a few treats in them.” Rachel took another bite of cake and looked at the building.

Charon finished of his food and washed it down with a bottle of dirty water, adding. “Inside there could be Raiders, other less friendly Mercs, animals or super mutants, traps, killer robots.”

Rachel nodded. “Also true. Shall we?”

Freddie had very little desire to risk death for a handful of snacks but Rachel was eager and Charon didn’t seem like he cared either way.

They packed up what little gear they’d gotten out and headed for the Corvega factory front door. This time Charon was in the lead instead of the girl. For a guy his size he could move disturbingly noiseless when he wanted too. Freddie noticed Rachel was moving differently too, slipping through the door like a cat in a pre-war holotape. Claws watched but stayed outside when Rachel told him to.

Freddie mimicked them, being as quiet as he could, neither one of his escorts shushed him so he figured he must be doing a pretty decent job.

Crouched, Charon held up his fist and the humans behind him stilled. Freddie tilted his head to listen in the direction of the hallway stretched in front of the main doors. It was a scuffling sound, one of the many things he wasn’t familiar with yet.

Charon saw the kid’s expression and eased back until he was next to the boy. “It’s always important to know what you’re about to face in the wasteland,” he whispered softly, “lots of animals make distinctive noises, up ahead is a Giant Ant. Those,” he pointed to a pile of something Freddie thought looked gross. “Those are ant egg clutched. The meat inside isn’t bad.”

Freddie nodded and Charon moved back to the front, unaware that Rachel was grinning at his back. It was the most he’d said to anyone that wasn’t her in the few weeks they’d been together. Freddie squinted down the gloom covered hallway, looking for the ant Charon had said was there.

“Line up your shot,” Rachel whispered to Gomez, pointing towards a shadow moving at the end of the hall.

“Me?” He whispered back, “but I’ve only fired a gun once! You or Charon should do it.”

Rachel shook her head, “I believe in learning on the job Gomez, now line up your shot while it still hasn’t noticed us.”

Charon watched his employer instruct the boy silently. The kid took direction well and only need Rachel to correct his grip on the plasma pistol once. The ant at the end of the hall picked up its head in time to see a flash of green light before it disintegrated.

“Decent shot,” the girl praised.

“I was aiming for its head, not its ass.” Freddie growled and Rachel slapped a hand on his shoulder.

“You’ll get better with practice Gomez, and besides your gun probably hasn’t been sighted in years. I’ll show you how to maintain it when we go back outside.”

There was more scuffling above them and further up the hall. The ants definitely  had a nest in here. The group didn’t have too much trouble sneaking through the abandoned car factory though, sniping ants and looting anything worth carrying.

Charon motioned for the two to wait with a fist in the air when they reached the main floor, moving forward into the large out room that must be the factory’s main work floor. Charon swept his eyes around the dusty room, catching the movement of ants form both his right and left. He picked his right first, crippling the ants head with a spray of buck shot.

The crack from his shotgun echo through the open warehouse room and for a heartbeat there was silence, then the ants attacked. The bugs poured down stairs and out from under the giant scaffolding that held forgotten car bodies.

Rachel and Gomez rushed in to help, the screeching of ants and the thunder of gun fire mixed this their own shouting voices was deafening.

Rachel and Gomez went back to back as the ants circled them, giant pinches clicking as they closing in on the fresh meat that had wondered into their nest. Rachel dropped an empty clip and slammed a fresh one in place, snarling, “Why the fuck are there so many!”

“Fall back! Both of you, run!” Charon yelled from his place ten feet away, he could provide a distraction while Rachel and Gomez got out of there. He pumped lead into one ants head near his left knee and viciously kicked a second. There were eight of them still alive and ringed around the ghoul’s legs. Others crawled from further into the factory and those were closing in on the humans fast. Casting her eyes around Rachel counted fourteen that she could see, all hungry and coming at them.

Rachel gritted her teeth, firing into the head of the one closest to her and a second disappeared in a flash of green. Charon’s swearing got louder, he sounded like he was in pain. Rachel moved quickly, rushing to help her friend. Charon was the furthest from the door and had attracted the bulked of the ants.

Rachel reversed her rifle, slamming the butt down on the thorax of an ant that had its pinches locked around her bodyguard’s armored shin. Its exoskeleton made a crunch and ant goo spurted in all directions. Freddie took shaky pot shots at the ants trying to join the ones already swarming the two outnumbered fighters.

Charon kept snarling for her to get out and Rachel kept ignoring him in as they beat at the numbers ringing them.

Rachel kicked an insect off the back of her guard’s ankle and then kicked it again out of her way before she put her back to Charon’s. She obliterated the insects head and moved her iron sights to her next target. It felt like the fight lasted forever, but it was probably closer to a few minutes.

Rachel’s heart beat hard in her chest as she spun to find her next target but her eyes only met the bodies of the ant’s they’d killed. She wiped a hand over through swet soaked hair and grimaced when an unidentified substance was rubbed with it.

She heard Charon make a noise half way between a growl and a groan and she turned to give him an inspection. He was in rough shape, the armor on his legs was horribly dented and there was a crack in one panel. His pants were ripped all to hell from his thighs down and his lower legs were coated in blood.

“ _Charon_ ,” she began.

“I’m fine kid.” he growled, cutting her off. He was lying and they both knew it.

“Gomez, can you stand guard or do you need patching up too?” She asked, ignoring what her big companion said.

“I can wait until you two are done.” he told her a little breathlessly and turned back to watch the rest of the room along with the doors leading beyond.

“Rachel patch yourself up first.” Charon growled again. He looked too stiff to her and she scowled. If she had to guess she’d say he was fighting to simply stay upright. _Men_.

“You’re losing blood a lot faster than me. Come on tough guy.” Her voice was stern as she wrapped an arm around his bicep. She half dragged, half lugged him to the iron steps they’d descended a couple dozen ants ago, making him sit. He sat heavily and while he wasn’t about to admit it, he was incredibly thankful to have an employer who watched his back. It was a nice change of pace.

Charon bent to drag what was left of his pant legs up but Rachel smacked his hand away. “Let me take care of you. Just relax for a minute.” She told him, all business as she peeled away the blood soaked cloth. She pulled a bottle of irradiated water from her pack and used a mostly clean rag to clean the jagged tears in his flesh.

Rachel heard his breath hitch once but otherwise he was quiet through her treatment. His silence made her wonder what he’d had to endure in his long life. He must have been in incredible pain and it was a long process, dabbing clean the punches and lacerations the ants had inflicted.

Rachel had applied stimpaks to both his legs even though the irradiated water she’d used had already stopped most of the bleeding. When she’d prepped the first Stimpak Charon had protest and she’d given him the second just to spite him.

The next time they found a nicely irradiated area she’d make him sit in it for a while too. Just to be safe of course and not at all because she knew he’d bitch the whole time about her fussing over him.

Rachel was just finishing wrapping the second leg in bandages when she heard Gomez gasp and a screech hit her ears so loud it reverberated in her skin.

She spun and her eyes widened when she saw what fresh hell they were faced with now. Gomez raised his pistol, stammering. “What the hell is that!”

The nest Queen was hauling her girth through a connecting door on the other side of the room. She was huge, barley able to squeeze through the doorway. The queen yanked herself fully into the room and stood at her full height, coming maybe eight feet to the top of her head.

She hissed and spat green acid in Gomez’s direction. Rachel yelled for him to move but he was already in motion. The acid sizzled when it hit the ground and Rachel brought up her rifle, firing as fast as she could. Gomez was right there too, too terrified to run. The poor vault boy was rooted to the spot sending blasts of energy in the direction of the Queens body.

Charon was on his feet and at Rachel’s side in seconds. Rachel opened her mouth to tell him to get back but his hand shot out and shoved her away just as acid sailed past her nose. Distracted, Rachel scowled and left Charon to fight alongside them.

The Ant Queen screeched again and Rachel swore loudly when her rifle clicked, empty. She reached for another clip and paled, she was out of ammo. Rachel dropped her gun and grappled for her pistol immediately.

Charon planted himself between his employer and the Queen when he heard her weapon hit the concrete floor. Gomez looked at his traveling companions and grimaced. His heart was racing and his lungs felt like they were on fire. He was also down to the last of his ammo and he’d seen Rachel toss her rifle.

Gomez’s  fight or flight instincts kicked in, wide eyed and terrified, he acted. It was almost like he was watching his body from somewhere else as he rushed forward. He did a frantic dive roll under the queen ant’s head, pointed his plasma pistol straight up under her chin and pulled the trigger.

The queen’s head exploded, showering the vault boy with blood and grey matter. The smell made his eyes water and he spat, hoping the tinny taste in his mouth was _his own_ blood. His ears were ringing but his eyes were clear and when he looked up. His new friends where gawking at him.

“Holy flying fuck,” Rachel breathed and she was suddenly laughing.

Charon’s eyebrows had snapped up, impressed. “Good shot kid, you think next time you might get a little closer?”

Coming out of his overwhelmed dazed Freddie wiped some ant goo from his face, trying to get her rolling stomach to settle down. “I’d rather not.”


	19. Chapter 19

Digging in her pocket Rachel pulled out her pack of cigarettes and selected one. She lit it and inhaled the smoke with a sigh. She usually didn’t smoke in the wasteland but this morning she’d woken up twitchy.

Things that didn’t normally irritate her suddenly _did_. The boys were still sleeping in the office that they’d barricaded themselves in the night before. She’d lifted a corner of the desk blocking the door soon after she’d started her watch shift. She’d shifted it quietly and had slipped out into the hallway. Claws had come out with her, getting up when she had.

She had leaned against the hallway wall once she was out of the room, trying to calm her nerves.  Twitchy or not she was traveling with other people and she wouldn’t leave them unguarded. If she headed into another part of the building who knows what could happen while Charon and Gomez slept. Maybe nothing. Charon was a trained merc after all and you didn’t live as long as he had by being a heavy sleeper, but it was the principle of the thing.

Rachel scowled at nothing in particular, cracking her back and neck. Sleeping on the floor was one of the things that were irksome this fine morning. Not that she’d done a whole lot of sleeping. A solid nine hours hadn’t come to her since she’d danced on the bar that night in Megaton. It was one of the reasons why she always volunteered to do the last watch of the night, it was a relief to just get up.

Every night she’d lie down, close her eyes, and pretend. During the couple hours she did manage dozing off she’d dream. Every night Rachel ended up reliving the horrible moments from her past. Moments like when she dragged her beaten body across the Mojave and when Carla had died.

Sometimes it’s wasn’t Carla now, her mind was getting creative. She’d seen Boone up there on the selling block, her father’s throat in her crosshairs. She’d seen Gob and that vault girl she’d met on the road. She’d seen people she’d known and liked from Goodsprings and The strip. Last night she’d seen herself in the cross hairs. She’d looked up at herself, nodded once and she’d heard the gunshot. That had been… _creepy_.

Maybe that’s why she felt so on edge today.  Maybe the exhaustion was finally catching up to her. Nothing like mercy killing yourself on a legion slave block to make a girl surly in the morning.

Rachel flicked away the ash from her cigarette and took a final drag before flicking the filter to the floor. She glanced down towards both ends of the hall and grumbled to herself, lighting another cigarette out of boredom. Claws poked his head around the corner to her left and returned to her, finished with whatever inspection he’d been performing.

This was why she hated traveling with people. If she didn’t have to wait for the others to get the fuck up she’d be gone already. Yesterday she’d like their company, today she was angry. It had happened before and she knew these feeling were going to pass. The knowledge kept here there against this wall chain smoking instead of disappearing into the wasteland with her pet.

She knew Charon would chase her if she did leave; she had his contract after all. She was pretty sure he wouldn’t care if she wasn’t his employer. While he was certainly more comfortable around her now she wouldn’t bet on him counting her as a friend.

She didn’t know what Gomez would do. Die perhaps. The boy didn’t have the experience to track her and she wasn’t sure if Charon would care enough to let him tag along if it was just the two of them.

Rachel ran her hand over the butt of her rifle, she wanted to shoot something. Maybe today they would find a nice little group of raiders to take out. Maybe that would quiet the tingling in her shoulders and down her spine. Maybe a good fight would ease the tension in her muscles.

Rachel glanced down when Claws butted his head against her knee. She smirked, blowing smoke from her nose as she rubbed his head.

“You get it,” she whispered too her pet, rubbing the dark and raised skin where his horns would soon appear. “You wanna go kill somethin’ with momma?”

He licked her hand with is long rough tongue and she snorted, wiping her wet hand on her pants. “I knew you would.”

She wanted to wake the other two up but didn’t. Not yet, it was actually only 4:30am according to her Pipboy. Not even dawn yet. She’d only been on watch for a couple hours. She’d wait until the sun was up and then she’d wake them. It wasn’t their fault she felt like she did. Besides Gomez wasn’t used to travelling like this and Charon was still mending.

Another hour and she was sitting cross-legged on the floor with her gun in her lap. Claw had settled himself against her and had his head tuck firmly against her thigh. He was fast asleep; she could feel his warm breath push threw her shirt and heat her stomach every time he exhaled.

She had her combat knife in her hand and she was carefully etching her name in wide clean letters into the wooden stock. There was a fresh cigarette between her lips and she’d used a couple pieces of string to tie her red hair up into short pigtails.

She was on the first “O” in Boone, when she heard soft movement from the room they’d spent the night in. Claw woke instantly and looked at the door, ever alert. He sneezed and tucked his head back against his mistress. Rachel kept on carving her rifle, half of her was happy someone else was finally getting up, the other half was annoyed her solitude was going to be disturbed.

It didn’t make sense to be conflicted like that but that what it was like some days when you rode the dragon. She smirked at the distant memory. Growing up that’s what Sunny used to call the emotional hurricane most woman get to navigate every day.

The door beside her opened but she didn’t look up. She did see Charon’s boots though, so she knew who had entered her hallway. Claws huffed in her lap and cuddled more firmly against her, apparently he didn’t want to be disturbed either.

Charon didn’t say anything and she wordlessly offered him a cigarette. Their eyes met and they shared a moment of understanding. He took the offered smoke and that was enough for them.

She should have given him more credit. In the few weeks she and the ghoul had been together they’d come to a comfortable understanding. That unless something was on fire or they were about to be shot at, there was no need for conversation early in the morning.

He stood there with his employer, smoking in silence while he watched her carve her name into her gun. It was a nice few minutes for them while she finished.

Rachel lifted her gun and blew away the wood shavings she’d made. she admired her work for a second and decided it was time to move on. She got to her feet and stretched her arms over her head to pop her back while she got a handle on her mood.

Charon watched her quietly, catching a glimpse of a pale scare on her hip bone when her shirt lifted. It was two long claw marks, they were pale telling him they were old and he suspected a third line on her pale skin below her pant line. They weren’t wide enough to be the work of a deathclaw and he wondered what had caused them. He realized he was still gazing at her flesh and snapped his eyes up to her face.

Rachel hadn’t notice him scrutinizing the skin on her waist and he was thankful for that. He had absolutely been staring at her battle scars and _not_ her pale skin but he wouldn’t want her to misunderstand. She was his employer, a person he was loyal to because had to be, not because he care for the insane little smoothskin.

Not because he was sure she’d die out here without him watching over her and he cared about her life.

He didn’t.

He told himself he didn’t all the time. Outside of the obligations of the contract he didn’t care. He couldn’t afford to get attached.

Rachel opened the door and he watched her prod the kid with her boot. He woke up quickly, unabashed but Rachel’s roughness and jumped to his feet.

“Good morning,” he grinned, ecstatic to be alive and out in the world.

Rachel made a non-committed sound and nodded.

_He’s a morning person…fucking fantastic_. Rachel thought to herself and rubbed the back of her neck. She took a deep breath to get ahold of the bitchy-ness building inside of her before she spoke.

“I want to get moving, if we set a good pace we can get to the Commons by sundown.”

She still growled the words but he nodded brightly, something that Rachel caught herself finding incredibly annoying in this morning. They left quickly eating on the move but nobody minded. Rachel and Charon were used to that and Freddie was eager to learn how to be a good wastelander.

* * *

 

 

Canterbury Common’s was a quiet place. The first living thing she saw was a pack Brahmin and a trader camped under a large dead tree at the town’s entrance. It had been all damn day and the mole rats they’d run a crossed on the way hadn’t done anything to burn off the tension Rachel was feeling.

A man in pre-war clothes and a gun strapped to his back was coming towards them. He smiled in a _I-won’t-shoot-if-you-won’t_ kinda way, offering his hand to the group since it was unclear who was leading this new group of strangers in town. Rachel gave Gomez a nudge with her elbow and the Vault kid started a little but he shook the offered hand.

He explained who he was and what he was doing so far from the vault. While Gomez talked with the man named Roe Rachel and Charon wandered around the settlement. They took in the state of the buildings, possible exits and assessed threat levels.

Finally the companion’s settled on stools in the diner in town. Maybe if she couldn’t fight this awful mood away, she could drink it away. If that didn’t work she might go look for some jet or a good roll in the hay. She thought about it a little more and decided she’d try the sex first. It had been awhile since she’d found a nice strong man to have her way with and while she’d done jet a couple times she didn’t care for the hangover it gave her.

A skinny dark skinned man came over to them immediately and offered Rachel a smile that was a little more than friendly. “Hello, welcome. I’m Joe Porter. What can I get for _you_?”

Rachel noticed that the man ignored Charon and it irked her. People in Megaton ignored him too and she’d heard a little of the gossip they’d created to entertain themselves but predigest towards ghouls was just something they had to deal with. Still, it had never bothered her quite like it did at this moment.

Rachel’s eyes flashed and she swivels on her stool towards the ghoul next to her, smiling as sweetly as she could. “What do you want Charon?”

Charon cocked a brow ridge at her and she cocked one back. He smirked when he saw that flash of mischief; if she wanted to play with the bigot behind the bar he was happy to oblige her. It may improve her mood.

She hadn’t been outwardly aggressive toward either of them but she’d been quiet. Quiet and very subtly … _snippy_ was a good word. Freddie hadn’t noticed, too distracted maybe, by simply being under the sun. Charon certainly _had_ noticed but of course he hadn’t said anything.  “Beer.”

“Make it two,” she told the man. He gave her an odd look and cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“Ah, we don’t normally serve _his_ kind here. They make other customers uncomfortable, I’m sure an intelligent woman like yourself understands.” Porter gave her a smile like he was explaining a simple concept to a small child.

Rachel tipped her head and gave the barkeep the same big innocent eyes she’d given the Brotherhood at GNR.

Rachel cut her eyes to Charon, he was picking at his finger nails, incredibly uninterested in the topic of conversation. It made Rachel even angrier than she was. He was so used to this kind of treatment that Porter’s insults didn’t even register. He shouldn’t have to be used to it. _Fuck people._

Rachel dropped her smile and glared at the bigot in front of her instead. She very casually pulled her pistol from its holster and placed it on the counter. “I think,” she started slowly “Since he and I are your _only_ customers right now, that you’ll be willing to make an exception. In the Interest of _business_.”

As much as Charon loved the blow the brain out of wasteland assholes he figured it wouldn’t be very productive to do it in a town they were trying to work out a deal with. He shifted, eyes on the man pissing off his employer. The man didn’t look at him but he did ease away from Rachel slightly. In that moment the big ghoul could see why Claws had taken to her so easily.

Joe paled ever so slightly, eyes focused on her gun under her hand. His gaze shifted up and he took in the worn but well care for rifle on her back. When she’d walked in he’d noticed she was very pretty. Now that he really looked at the red head it became very obvious this wasn’t just a pretty face playing scavenger. The girl looked…experienced.

Joe met her eyes and gulped. Maybe it was the way the light from the lanterns overhead made her eye’s glow neon gold, or the way that gold held no kind of warmth, but a chill ran up his spine and he nodded slowly. Porter grumbled under his breath and then pulled to warm beers from under the counter.

There was a fridge humming right behind him and Rachel sneered at him, shaking her head.

“Try again.”

The barman flinched as she hefted her pistol and immediately produced two cold beers. She didn’t say anything as she slapped down her caps and popped the cap off her bottle on the edge of the bar. It left a fresh dig in the wood and she smirked.

Porter looked like he wanted to say something but in the end he didn’t have the balls. Rachel glared at him and kept her eyes locked on his until he retreated to the other end of the room.

Rachel tipped up the bottle to her lips and shuttered as the icy alcohol slid over her tongue, she didn’t mind warm beer but after a day of walking cold was miles better.

She slid her eye to Charon, he still didn’t seem bothered but she definitely was.

Charon tapped his knee against hers and she looked up at him. He cocked his eyebrow and nodded towards the beer in her hand. Rachel realized that she’d started to loudly tap it on the wooden surface of the bar.

“You okay?” he asked softly, it was way too quiet for comfort in the diner.

“This place is pissing my off,”

“I can tell. What do you want to do?”

Rachel took a long pull from her beer bottle while she thought about it. What did she want to do? She could feel the heat from Charon’s knee soaking into hers, it was distracting. What did she want? She wanted to shoot Porter and make her nerves stop twitching but that would probably just end up being a pain in the ass.

Rachel sighed, “Let’s go kill something.”

He nodded and stood, ready. He didn’t practically enjoy being in this town any more than his mistress did. It really wasn’t the town affecting her though, he’d noticed Rachel’s mood when he’d first gotten up. She’d been extra surly and it hadn’t passed. He suspected it had something to do with her poor sleeping habits and the nightmares that plagued her on the rare occasion that she did sleep.

Rachel stopped on their way out of town to tell Freddie they were heading out for the night. He’d been startled but it wasn’t like the kid could stop her.

“Will you be back tomorrow?” he asked, nervous.

“I don’t know, if we aren’t back by the time you’re done with the traders go on back with one of them.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Good luck Gomez.” She told him and walked away without waiting for an answer.

They’d gotten him to the Common’s alive and that had been the original goal, she no longer felt responsible for him. Of course she knew that tomorrow she probably would again but she’d worry about it when it came.

Charon followed her a few paces behind, she could hear his boots in the gravel. She chugged the rest of the beer in her hand as they walked. Rachel threw the bottle when it was empty and it shattered against a rock. Rachel laughed and unslung her gun from her shoulder, “Come on Charon, let’s go take out the world!”

“What?” He asked, a little concerned.

“I said let’s go take on the world,”

“Where you go, I shall follow.” He replied but he decided to watch her a little closer until she slept. She had said _take out_ , not _take on_ , and the slip was concerning. He knew somewhere deep inside herself she’d buried something. It tried to surface in her nightmares, he’d seen her thrash around next to their campfires several times.

The circles under her eyes were growing darker by the day and so where her thought processes. Rachel was generally a bright person. It had been annoying when they’d met. Now he was afraid that brightness was fading.

He watched his mistress put her thumb and finger to her lips and whistle. It was a loud sharp sound that echoed across the wastes and a minute later Claws obediently appeared at her hip. His claws and muzzle were sticky with drying blood and his stomach was distended. Charon was a little proud that the beast could feed himself now; it hadn’t been hard at all to teach him the concept.

“Who’s my good boy?” Rachel cooed and he swept his tail back and forth against the ground. Charon wasn’t sure that was a deathclaw thing. Wagging tails was more of a habit exhibited by canines. Somehow the predator had picked it up though because he was certainly doing it.

Charon scanned the horizon while she gave attention to Claws. It was a little odd that they hadn’t seen anything threatening. Raiders peppered the landscape, at least they used to. Animals too, large aggressive beast were supposed to roam the burnt landscape.

“Come on Charon, let’s go that way.” Rachel pointed back the way they had come.

“Why that way?”

She shrugged and adjusted her pack, “Don’t know, I just want to go that way.”

She started walking and he obediently fell into step behind her. Rachel seemed a little happier now that it was just the two of them. They walked in silence for a while just enjoying the night.

Charon heard her curse softly and he looked at her. She was looking at her Pipboy, frowning at it. She poked a few buttons and then shook her arm violently, trying to shake away whatever problem she was having.

“What?”

“There are tick marks on the compass and they keep flickering green and red. It’s never done that before. It’s like it can’t tell if there are hostiles ahead or not.”

“How does it know in the first place?” he asked and Rachel looked back at him.

“I don’t know,”

“Would you like to investigate?” He asked even though he already knew the answer. She wasn’t the kind of woman to cower form the unknown.

She grinned and crouched low to the ground. Together they snuck up a bluff and crawled to the edge. She frowned at the three men in the outcropping below. They were in black combat armor and where carrying some impressive weapons.

She couldn’t hear what they were saying and she didn’t recognize the logo on their armor so she looked over at Charon.

“Do you know who they are?” she whispered and he nodded solemnly.

“Talon Company Mercenaries, they are the kind of men who’ll do the job if the caps are right, regardless of moral or threat level. They’re very dangerous.”

“Are they as dangerous as me?”

“Yes,”

“Are they as dangerous as you?”

“No,” he smirked

“Then let’s go say hello. If they shoot us we’ll shoot them back,”

“That’s not a good idea,” he warned but she wasn’t listening. She was watching the Talon men, gears in her head turning. Charon knew that she was out here looking for a good fight but he wasn’t thrilled about purposely antagonizing Talon Company. This far from Fort Banister meant they were hunting a target. Talon’s had a bad habit of shooting first and check identities later.

The ghoul snapped his hand out to grab the back her leather armor’s collar but before Charon could stop her Rachel was out of reach. She slid down the steep embankment and stood, hands on her hips and grinning as all three Talon guns aimed at her head.

“Well hey there boys, what brings fine looking merc’s like you to a place like this?” she asked brightly, ignoring their weapons. She was excited, her heart beat pleasantly against her ribs and she wanted to laugh.

“Who the fuck are you?” a dark skinned man asked, he must be the team leader here.

“Who me? I’m just a board little girl out wandering, how about you?” She was still grinning as she shook her hips in place, Charon thought she looked like a dog anticipating a treat. He growled under his breath from his cover. She was going to get herself killed and one of these assholes was going to end up holding his contract. As far as he knew she still kept it in her fucking bra. She really didn’t understand it’s importance.

“We’re looking for someone, a girl.” The leader told her, looking Rachel up and down.

“What kind of girl?” she asked, taking a step closer. Her fingers were itching to touch her gun but she didn’t, she wanted to draw out their interaction.

He looked up, meeting her eyes slowly, “A red head, a black widow. Told she likes to play with her food and keeps a gun hidden on her body.”

For the first time since meeting these men Rachel got a red flag in the back of her head. That sounded an awful lot like herself, “Oh? Any idea where this girl is? Maybe I could help?”

“Maybe,” he smiled at her but it wasn’t friendly. “She’s supposed to be traveling with a ghoul. We’ve been tracking her for a while, heard she was escorting some little vault brat to Canterbury Commons. You just came from that direction,” he leered at her and the hair stood up on the back of her neck. “Have you seen anybody like that?”

“No, I haven’t. She must have moved on already.”

“I don’t think so,”

“Why do you want a stupid little girl when you could have me?” She smiled up at the man and batted her eyes. She’d love to blow the fuck out of these guys but if she was the target of a contract maybe it was better to turn tail and run. She didn’t want anyone to get ahold of his contract and put a collar back around his neck.

“ _Maybe_ , I could go into town and check?” She offered making a show of looking him up and down, _check for a back door so me and Charon can get the fuck out of dodge,_ She though. They could get ahead of these men and set up an ambush.

“Yeah, why don’t you do that for us. When you get back, you and I can have a little fun.” he smiled, Rachel didn’t think he believed her but he moved back and let her move down the path that lead back to the main road. She walked slowly, with her hands in her pockets. She hoped she looked relaxed. She hoped Charon was ready to disappear with her.

“Hey Rachel,” She turned around automatically to look for whoever had called for her and froze. The Talon merc was grinning. _Fuck._

“Well well, looks like you have seen her. Where’s you shuffler? Not around to save your pretty little ass?” He cocked a shotgun that looked a lot like Charon’s and even as Rachel aimed her own rifle she though; _oh that’s gonna’ be mine._

A gun blast made her jump and the man directly in front her dropped to the ground. The other two dove for cover and Rachel looked up to see Charon standing on the ridge looking bad ass. One of the other men, a blond, grabbed her from behind. He yanked, trying to drag her along with him. His arms where wrapped around her shoulders tightly.

Furious with herself for letting this guy get the drop on her, she slammed her head back into his face. He yelp and pain shot threw her skull be she’d felt his nose break and that was satisfying.

His grip loosened and she broke free. Rachel whirled and raised her rifle. He stared back at her with wide eyes and fired at her. He was holding his assault rifle with one hand while the other gripped his broken nose and the kick from the gun threw his aim off a lot. At this range that saved her life.

Rachel felt bullets slam into the right side of her torso and down her thigh. It hurt, but the adrenaline dulled the pain for now. She dodged to the side and brought the butt of her rifle down hard on the hand covering his nose. He screamed and stumbled back, Rachel didn’t waste any time. She flipped her rifle, aimed and fired again, sending bullets into her target chest.

He lay still but she sent one more bullet into his forehead to be safe. Rachel looked around and saw Charon picking the body of the leader. The third man was dead in the dirt a few feet away.

“What the fuck do you think that was all about?” Rachel growled, her nerves hummed pleasantly but the fact that a merc group was looking for her was troubling. She kicked the body at her feet and yelped, the impact had sent pain searing up her right side. She looked down at herself and grimaced at the blood coating her stomach and leg, the red stain almost reached her knee.

“Rachel,” Charon called and she looked at him, he was reading a piece of paper she assumed he’d picked from the body.

“What?” She asked, doing her best not to limp as she made her way over to him. He handed the paper over, watching her face.

Rachel read the paper and gritted her teeth.

**Name: Rachel ?**

**Age: early 20s**

**Race: Caucasian**

**Hair: Red**

**Eyes: Yellow**

**Instructions: Rachel is an important woman to the client; she’s to be brought in alive. She’s traveling with a large ghoul; the client wants the ghoul dead. There are a lot of caps riding on this, don’t fuck it up.**

“I haven’t even been in the Capital Wasteland that long, who would want to capture me?” She growled, stuffing the paper into her pocket.

“It may be someone tracking you from the Mojave.” Charon suggested “Can you think of anyone who would pay to have you delivered alive?”

“I didn’t think I’d pissed anyone off enough to have them track me across the country.” Rachel muttered although she immediately thought about Caesar’s Legion.

“Well you’ve pissed somebody off.” Charon looked at her intently, willing himself to see into her head and find whoever she could have crossed enough to hire Talon Company. That’s when he noticed the blood shining in the moonlight.

“Rachel you’re hurt.” he reached for her but she dodged him with looking up. She didn’t want him to think she was too weak to tend her own wounds.

“What- oh, yeah. It’s not bad; I don’t think he hit anything important.”

“It’s not fine. You’re losing a lot of blood. Come here,” Charon reached for her again but she stepped away.

“There are mercs after us, I can make it back to town and if it will make you happy then you can treat me there where it’s safer. I’m not the kind of girl that cries over every little scuff I get in the wasteland.”

“Bullet holes are not scuffs.” He growled at her. “And it’s not safer there. Those Talons were planning on kidnapping you there. Look,” he pointed to a wooded door she hadn’t noticed in the rock face. “That’s probably someone’s makeshift shelter when the war started. We can clear it and make camp in there for tonight.”

Rachel nodded, her side actually hurt like a bitch and she was feeling lightheaded. Maybe sooner _was_ better. She looked around her, allowing Charon to guide her towards the decrypted door.

“Hey, where’s Claws?”

At the sound of his name he appeared, scampering down the bank.

“He hid behind my legs when the gunfire started; guess he didn’t follow me into the fight.”

Rachel smiled down at him fondly, glad he was alright. “You sir, are a deathclaw. Don’t be a wuss.”


	20. Chapter 20

_Fuck that hurts_.

It was the first conscious thought Rachel had as she woke up. She groaned softly, not entirely sure where she was or how she’d gotten there. Carefully she retraced the last few memories floating around in her head.

She remembered fighting with Talon Company. She was hurt a little and Charon was fussing about that. She had petted Claw. They had been going to a battered door, Charon wanted to make camp there rather than making the trip back to town. He was being a mother hen.

Slowly Rachel opened her eyes and was met with the sight of a metal ceiling glowing with soft firelight. She turned her head in the direction of the light and smiled sleepily at her ghoul. He was watching her form the other side of presser cooker he’d built the fire in.

“How are you feeling?” he asked like he was didn’t really care.

“Like I want a cigarette,” Rachel smiled faintly at him and propped herself up on one elbow. She didn’t like feeling this weak.

He snorted and lit one for her, taking it from his chapped lips when the cherry glowed red. Wordlessly he handed it over and she took it gratefully, inhaling deeply without hesitation. Rachel exhaled and tentatively sat up, wincing when something along her right thigh pulled painfully. She lifted her thin blanket to look and had to push her pants down a couple inched to see the lowest bullet hole.

The flesh around the wound was bruised angrily and the one on her hip had a few drops of fresh blood from when she’d moved. She lifted her shirt too, only now noticing she wasn’t wearing her armor. The tank top she’d been wearing under it was stiff with dried blood but her skin was fairly clean and each bullet hole had neat cross stiches.

“Charon I have stitches.” she told him, surprised. She counted six holes in her body, the top two near her rib cage looked a few days old but the ones running down her leg where still bright.

“Yes,” he agreed.

“Why do I have stiches?”

“You lost a lot of blood, I only found one stimpak so I used it near your lungs, you had a cracked rib.”

Rachel looked at the stitches on her thigh and how far her pants had to come down to gain access to them. “How did I get stiches down here?”

Charon bristled, he wasn’t in the mood to play. The girl had nearly gotten herself kill being both stupid and stubborn. “The same way you got them everywhere else. I did what I had to do.”

She nodded, Rachel trusted him not to do anything while she was unconscious. It was weird really. She hadn’t trusted anyone this much since Carla and Craig Boone.

 “Thank you, why don’t I remember this room?” she asked, moving away from her self-evaluating thoughts. Rachel looked around the metal room. There was a barricaded door behind Charon and a big cog shaped door behind her. Computerized equipment was everywhere along with a good amount of trash. It looked like the broken up bits of wood and half burned paper was what Charon was using to fuel their fire.

“You fainted.”

“I don’t faint.” she told him. She’d never seen a door shaped like a cog before.

“You did faint.” He assured her.

“No,” Rachel argued. “Clearly I just took a sudden and decisive nap. Fainting is for weak little damsels. I’m a wastelander.”

Charon looked like he might want to laugh but he didn’t. She’d never heard him laugh and wondered idly what it would sound like.

“How do you feel?” he asked instead of arguing with her further.

“Leg hurts like a bitch,” she told him, cracking her neck.

“You should rest,” he told her, dropping an already scorched book into his makeshift fire pit.

“No, I’m fine. I promise.”

He looked at her disapprovingly, but she smiled “ _Really_ , now where are my boots?”

He picked them up from beside him and handed them over. She pulled them on carefully, willing her face still and blank. Rachel knew if she winced Charon would make her go back to sleep. He’d probably have to knock her out with her increasing insomnia. Actually she may very well ask him to knock her out if she didn’t get a good nights rest soon.

Charon watched her stand slowly. Even though she was trying to hide it from him he knew she was still in pain. He didn’t argue with her thought, as of right now she wasn’t in any immediate danger and it wasn’t his place to give her orders.

Instead he watched her for any sign that she was more seriously injured. She stretched, testing her stiff muscles and looked around. As fascinated by the vaults as she seemed to be it looked like she’d never seen one because she clearly didn’t realize they were in one.

He’d barricaded the door leading deeper into the vault in case something hostile was living inside. Clearing a place this big would take hours and she’d been bleeding everywhere. The barricade wasn’t ideal but he’d been under certain time constrains.

Her blood was permanently stained into his leather armor, she’d lost more than any normal person should and be awake this quickly. Rachel was stubborn though, maybe she was just too stubborn to die. A few hours ago she almost had, she _should_ _have_. But here she is now, inspecting one of the control system to the vault door like she hadn’t even been in a fight, let alone taken six bullets.

“Charon?” she asked and he looked up. “Where are we?”

“Vault 108.” he eyes lit up and he cut her off quickly. “No. Tomorrow.”

“Why, I’m _fine_. Let’s go now!”

“We both need rest. We can look around inside tomorrow.”

She sighed and settled back down on her blanket. He was glad she hadn’t insisted because he wouldn’t have had a choice.They’d end up running into something with teeth and she’d open her stiches and bleed out. Then he’d have to find a new contract holder and end up an obedient slave once again. Hopefully tomorrow he’d be able to get her to take it easy until they could find a couple more stimpaks.

He looked at her quietly from his side of the fire, she looked so tired. Claws had curled up around her and he had his head in her lap. The beast was devoted to the girl. It came when she called, followed her without being told and Charon suspected if Claws thought Rachel was in real danger he’d come running to her aid. It was a lot like himself, just another oddly deadly pet. Of course his devotion was because of the contract she held, not affection for her.

Even as he thought that his traitorous mind flashed to the moment he’d watched Rachel wobble on her feet before she collapsed onto the dirt. That very real stab of fear as he scrambled to her side.

“Hey Charon?” she asked and he looked back up, pulled from his thoughts.

“Yes?”

“What do you think happened to the people here?”

He looked around for clues to adequately answer her question and then shrugged, “Vault-Tec used a lot of the vaults for military testing and social experiments. We will likely find out more tomorrow when we explore deeper.”

“How do you know so much about this?” she asked.

“I have been around a very long time, you should sleep. You will heal faster with rest.”

Charon watched her nodded and lay back down. Claws moved with her, resting his head on her stomach and pressing close. Charon shifted his gaze to the flames, her question wasn’t a bad one. It just wasn’t one he wanted to answer.

Vault-Tec.

The company who came up with a way to save humanity from the nuclear war they all knew was coming. If you paid to could secure a spot for yourself and your family in one of their many atomic bomb proof shelters.

People paid.

Anyone who could afford it paid. Even some who couldn’t afford it paid.

The vaults were the ideas of men who weren’t as saintly as they presented themselves to the public. The first vault had been constructed years before the bombs. That’s where Charon’s train had been. Along with four other men from his unit.

That first vault hadn’t all been underground. It was only three levels with the fist an above ground facility. It was a prototype for the vaults to come.

Charon ran a hand over his face and shook his head, trying to clear the memories. They weren’t fond ones. He reached under the collar of his shirt, pulling out his dog tags. He remembered the day he’d gotten them, before he saw what war really did. Before his _special training_ and before his contract.

He’d been so proud.

The two metal tags held his name and other identification information but he wasn’t looking at them. He was looking at the smooth metal oval with a Celtic knot engraved into it. He’d kept it on the same chain for as long as he could remember.

200 years was a long time to keep track of something, he was glad none of his employers had seen fit to take the tags away. One man had ordered him to sell his armor and gun to cover a gambling dept. That had been a long four months without a decent weapon or protection. During that time he’d hidden his tags in his boot.

“What’s that?” She asked softly.

Charon twitched and wrapped his fist around the steal ball chain, looking up. Rachel’s hadn’t moved but her eyes were open and she was looking at him. He tucked it back under his shirt and pulled his gun into his lap. “It’s nothing.”

“It didn’t look like nothin’.” she said it gently, looking back up at the ceiling.

“You could order me too tell you.”

“I could.” Rachel nodded, “I won’t though; you’ll tell me someday. You’ll tell me because you want too.”

She said it like it was a fact and it made him looked at her. “You sure about that?”

Rachel nodded, “I am.”

“Why?” he asked, intrigued in spite of himself.

“Because one day I won’t just be your employer. I’m going to be your friend, your comrade. I can feel it. One day you’re going to know all my deep dark secrets and I’m going to know yours.”

He stared at her with his eyebrow cocked. He was amazed by the absolute certainty in her voice. He was even more amazed because a small part of him hoped she was right.

Rachel smiled softly, rolling away from him and wrapping her arms around Claws’ neck. “I’m feeling sleepy.” She whispered “Goodnight Charon.”

He shook his head and almost smiled at her back. “Goodnight Rachel.”

* * *

 

 

 

“I’m _fine Charon_. Let’s go.” Rachel was bouncing on the balls of her feet while he shifted the debris blocking the door. She’d been up bright and early, ready to enter the vault 108. Charon had to distract her was a fancy lad snack cake to checked her wounds.

When he saw them he sighed, if she was careful she’d be fine. Since he was pretty sure Rachel lacked the capacity to be truly careful he decided he’d have to watch her until they found some more stimpaks.

Dutifully he moved the barricade and opened the door, gun in hand. The air in the tunnel was stagnant and it was very quiet. Rachel moved around him and took the lead like she always did. Rifle at the ready she walked, peeking around corners whenever they came to one. She acted all business. It was the first time Charon really saw Rachel as the experienced scavenger that she was. He was both surprised and a little proud.

“I’m gonna loot the fuck out of this place.” She whispered while she looked at her Pipboy map. “I wonder if they had an armory?”

“We should find the medical wing.” he whispered into her ear. His breath sent a familiar shiver down her spine and she growled to herself. She didn’t date traveling companions, well she didn’t date _anyone_ but she didn’t sleep with traveling companions. It made things complicated.

He was a ghoul too, not that she was a bigot she’d just never thought about it.

She’d never felt any kind of reaction to guy’s breath touching her either, not when they were in a dangerous area _. I must be more sexually frustrated then I thought if being close to a person give me shivers, then again, even as a ghoul Charon is a fine peic-_

“Rachel?”

The sound of her name brought her out of her own head. She looked at Charon and smiled sheepishly, “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

He nodded and moved head of her, taking the lead. The door to the next level was right in front of them and so far they hadn’t run into anything worse than a couple molerats. There was a corpse in a blue 108 jumpsuit but from the look of him he’d been dead for awhile.

“Do you think there are any survivors? I mean, molerats couldn’t really take over a whole vault. Could they?”

Charon pressed the button for the door and shrugged, “Depends on how many hostiles and how well the vault was prepared for attack.”

“Right, Ooo _that’s_ a nice bat.” she said, distracted. The room on her right looked like it was used for storage and a pristine looking baseball bat was leaning against a locker. Rachel picked it up and gave an experimental swing.

“You’re taking that with you?” Charon asked when she returned to his side and crouched down, bat in hand.

“Of course, someday one of us is going to want to beat something to death with a bat. When that day comes I’ll be ready.”

Charon opened his mouth to retort but stopped, looking further down the hallway. Rachel looked too. She didn’t see anything but there was a sound, just a little lower than a whisper. Claws growled softly, sniffing the air infront of them.

Rachel looked at her Pipboy, it was blanket so she slowly crept forward. It took a few feet but a green tick mark showed up on the compass. She stopped and leaned over to show Charon, “It’s green.”

“You shouldn’t trust it,” he warned and she bit her lower lip.

“You’re right, what do you think it is?”

“That sound was human. We should be cautious.”

Rachel nodded and put a hand on Claws. He looked at her and growled when she pointed to the rusted floor. She gave him a stern look and pointed again. This time he slowly lowered himself to the ground but he wasn’t happy about it.

“Good boy, stay here until we know it’s safe. I don’t want to get shot on sight.” She looked at the tick mark again and looked at Charon over her shoulder. “You should stay back too, we don’t know if these guys have ever seen a ghoul.”

“We don’t know they won’t shoot you just because you’re a stranger here.”

Rachel gave him the same stern look she’d given Claws and Charon went ridged but he kept talking as protecting her and following orders warred against each other in his head. “Mistress my skills are best used at your side. For your safety I insist that I accompany you.”

Rachel winced, she hated when he went all formal. She sighed with one arm cradling her rifle and the other hand on her hip. “Oh fine, just…just try to look non-threatening.”

He looked down at himself and then back up to meet her eyes. “It is one of the more difficult orders I’ve been given but I will do my best mistress.” He smirked at her and Rachel flipped him off.

“Smart ass, let’s go.”

 

Rachel took the lead, keeping low to the floor as they made their way down the hall. It wasn’t long at all before she spotted a figure in a blue jumpsuit standing just inside a doorframe. Rachel motioned Charon to stop and slowly she stood up. The man didn’t notice her but she heard him or another person on that room say “Gary…”

She put a smile on her face and pointed her rifle to the ground, “Hello?”

He twitched and turned to look at her. His eyes widened and he looked her up and down slowly. “Gary?” he asked, he sounded surprised.

“Gary? No I’m Rachel, Can I talk to whoever is in charge here?” Rachel asked while the strange guy inspected her inch by inch. It was like he’d never seen a woman before.

“Gary!” his yell made her flinch and she jumped back instinctually. Gary 34 lunged at her, producing a lead pipe from somewhere. He swung at her but she quickly skipped out of range. A single blast from Charon’s modified shotgun brought the crazed man down.

Rachel looked at her bodyguard with one hand on the back of her neck. “Well, that was weird.”

“We should leave.” Charon said, reloading his shotgun. This place was giving him the creeps. “This place is not safe.”

“You don’t think our house in Megaton is safe.”

“It is not.”

“Fuck off, I paid good caps to furnish it and it’s in one of the safest settlements in wastes.”

Charon didn’t look up as he picked the dead man’s corpse. “The walls are thin and there is only one way in and out. If we were attacked in force there would be no way to retreat.”

“Well where would you have us live?” She demanded. Charon thought about it while he tossed her the three caps he’s found. She said “we” and “our” like he was an equal. She was the kind of woman who probably thought he was. He should remind her that he was a tool to her survival but she’d argue and that wasn’t something he should provoke in unknown surroundings.

“I have not yet found a place I would call safe.When that place is found I will let you know.”

Rachel grumbled something under her breath. “Let’s keep moving tall, dark and paranoid.”

* * *

 

 

The gunfire sounded like an endless rain of bombs in the narrow hallways. The Gary’s swarmed everywhere. Some of them carried guns, others fought with their bare hands. Rachel knew a few seconds ago one of them had tagged the back of her right shoulder with a lead pipe.

She could hear Charon swearing and Claws yowled furiously. The three of them were fighting for their lives and losing. Two of the Gary’s had gotten the drop on them coming onto a large room. The gunfire had attracted more. The fighting was like a siren’s call to the identical men and it seemed like for every clone they killed two more would appear out of nowhere.

They were being forced to fall back; Rachel didn’t have time to check her Pipboy and prayed they weren’t going to meet a dead end. She fired clip after clip, Charon doing the same beside her.

She was bleeding heavily from her stiches and she had a new bullet wound went clean threw her shoulder. Gary 43 got his hand wrapped around her forearm and he yanked her into a blow from a heavy wrench. She ducked, saving her skull but sacrificing that same bleeding shoulder. She snarled at Gary, bringing her knee into his groin.

Rachel heard the _whoosh_ of a vault door opening behind her and a rough hand grabbed her wounded shoulder. Rachel screamed, her vision going blurry as she was yanked backwards. The force drove her around and sent her stumbling blindly across the threshold.

“Rachel Run!” Charon snarled from somewhere behind her and she blinked her eyes to clear them. She focused up just in time to see Charon slam his fist down onto the button on the wall and the door slam closed.

“Charon!”

She rushed to the door, the gunfire was muffled on the other side but she could still hear it. She beat on the door control but it sparked and the door didn’t budge. Charon must have shot the lock on the other side.

Rachel spun around. She was alone in a long hallway. Her Pipboy didn’t show any tick marks on her side of the door but there was a mass of them on Charon’s side.

Rachel pounded her fists on the steel, yelling furiously. “Charon! Claws! Fuck!”

She had to get back. She had to find a way to get back to them. He was good but he was vastly out numbered. Not even Charon would be able to hold his own for very long with a dozen plus psycho’s baring down on him.

Rachel turned and gasped when her injured shoulder reminded her of its presents. She reached into the pouch on her waist and pulled out the two stimpaks she’d found in the vault. She applied one to her stomach and the other to her shoulder. Then with the help of her combat knife she used strips from her already bloodstained shirt to bind a deep gash in her forearm.

She didn’t know when she’d gotten it but it hurt like a bastard now that she’d seen it. Tying off her bandage was harder than it should have been because she was shaking with nervous energy. She just had to get back to Charon.

Rachel rechecked her Pipboy and her heart stuttered in her chest. She saw three red ticks and one green. She pressed herself to the door but she didn’t pick up another green. Someone was dead over there. While she watched one red blinked out, and then another. After a couple more seconds the last red tick and the green tick blinked out together, red then green in the same second.

Furiously she wiped the tears from her eyes telling herself that maybe they just got out of range. Maybe Charon was able to make it back the way they’d come in the first place.

Her heart was already beating way too fast in her chest but she began to run. Rachel ran with the frantic jittery energy of any person who needed to get to a friend in danger. She bolted down the empty halls, desperately looking for a way back to where Charon had shoved her to safety.

When she found him he was going to be in so much trouble.

She turned right and then left, a startled Gary looked up in time to see her gun flash. She was past him before his body hit the rusted floor.

Rachel ran until she was out of breath, down halls and up and down staircases. Doors opened and closed for her but she didn’t see anyone and there wasn’t a single mark of life on her compass. 

She rounded a sharp corner and tripped over her own exhausted boots. The fall sent her sprawling on the cold floor. Rachel lay where she’d fallen, curling into the fetal position and gasping for breath.

Rachel started sniffling, her panicked heart was pounding both painfully and erratically against her ribs.

She looked desperately at the screen of her Pipboy, still _nothing_.

Rachel blinked and sat up in a hurry, turning the dials quickly until she found the page for the communicators. Charon had one, and if he was alive he could answer her.

“Charon!” she called into the small speaker, but she was met with silence. She flicked to the next frequency with gritted teeth. “Charon!” there was still nothing. She bit her lip. There was a way to broadcast to all of them.

Moira had shown her how. Fuck she should have tested these when she’d gotten them. Rachel held the buttons like she was pretty sure Moira had done all those weeks ago.

“Charon?...Charon!...answer me you _asshole_!”

Static crackled from her speakers and she curled tighter into a ball, reduced a quiet sobs. She’d been stupid to lead him here. Charon and Claws were both dead and it was all her fault.

“…el…Rachel?”

She choked into her fist when the sound of his voice crackled from the speaker. His beautiful, gravely, distinct voice.

“Charon!” Rachel gasped, curling close to the speaker on her wrist. “Are you all right? Where are you?”

* * *

 

 

Charon groaned softly. Claw was standing close to him, keeping guard. The deathclaw was covered in blood and Charon wasn’t sure who’s was who’s. There were dead Gary’s everywhere.

Charon had fought his way away from his employer, drawing the Garys away from Rachel. He’d even managed to make sure the rest of the hall was clear before he’d staggered and slumped against a wall.

The big ghoul was battered and bleeding. Bullets had torn threw his shoulder and chest. One was lodged in his left thigh and his arm was had been broken keeping a baseball bat from shattering his mistress’s skull. She hadn’t seen it happen and he was grateful. She would have worried about him more than her own foolish life.

_Rachel_.

He looked at his hand, the one he’d used to force her through that door. He’d hurt her in the process. Her blood stained his skin and fingerless gloves. He hoped she wasn’t too angry about that. Oddly enough he found himself wanting her to remember him fondly.

Charon hadn’t meant to grab her wound but he had to get her through that door. He prayed she run like he told her to. He prayed that she’d gotten out of this damned vault alive. If she had left and was safely outside the vault’s main door when he died then he could go knowing his contract had been fulfilled.

Maybe it was because she was small and female and not a total asshole that he’d fought so hard to protect her. His past employers he’d protected but not like he did for her. He actually cared whether she lived or died. Charon groaned again when Claws nudged his broken arm.

He glared at the beast but the string of curses died on his lips when he heard her voice under an electronic crackle. “ _Charon_?”

He looked down at the watch on his wrist and cursed softly, he’d forgotten about the communicators. She’d shown him how to use it. “ _Charon answer me you asshole_!”

She sounded desperate, worried and pissed off. He groaned painfully and with a shaking hand hit the button, leaning over his injured arm. “ _Hell_ …Rachel?”

There was a pause and in that time he imagined her sobbing in relief to find him alive. Not that she’d do that, they hadn’t really been traveling together that long but he also was losing a lot of blood.

“Charon! Are you okay? Where are you?”

The ghoul looked down at himself, he’d been in pain but that was easing now. He felt comfortably numb. “Nothing a little radiation won’t fix,” he told her. He was having trouble catching his breath. “Not sure of my exact location but somewhere on the second level. You okay?” he rasped and hopped she couldn’t hear how weak his voice was.

“I’m fine. Charon sit tight. I’m coming to find you.” He could hear her moving as she talked, she sounded worried.

“Rachel, leave. I’ll be alright.”

“Like hell, Charon I’m not leaving you behind. Is Claws with you?”

“Yeah kid, he’s here.”

“Good, try to send him my way. Then he can lead me right to you.”

Charon sighed and looked at the deathclaw. Claws was staring at the watch with his head cocked. She wanted him to send the beast instead of him going to meet her. He hadn’t fooled her for a second, she knew he was hurt _._

_It’s nice she cares_.

The ghoul growled to himself, working some authority into his voice. “Claws, go find Rachel.”

Claws looked at him and then down the hall. Charon closed his eyes for a moment, resting them against the harsh vault lights. “Rachel, Fetch. Go on, she needs somebody to watch her when I’m gone. Fetch.” He held out his good hand, he was so tired. “Fetch Rachel.”

Claw sniffed the ghoul’s palm, touching his nose to the blood stained there. He sneezed and then Charon heard the tapping of Claws walking away. He sighed, leaning his head back, he was so very tired.


	21. Chapter 21

The sharp click of her pet’s claws on the steel floor hit her ears seconds before a little green tick mark blinked to life on her Pipboy compass. The little deathclaw rounded the corner and she almost cried when she saw him. Claws squeaked and ran to his mistress, rubbing his blood splattered head against her tight.

“ _Good boy._ ” She praised him, rubbing his head with both hands. Rachel wiped the tacky blood left on her hands off on her pants and slung her rifle up onto her shoulder.

“Okay, let’s go get Charon.”

Claws turned immediately and trotted back the way he’d come with Rachel right behind him. She lifted her Pipboy and hit the intercom button as they walked, eyes scanning ahead for any enemies that might be left. “Charon, Claws found me and we’re on our way back to you.”

It was a few more seconds then Rachel was comfortable with before he answered.  _“Get out of here.”_

“No, how bad are you hurt?” She demanded.

“ _Bad enough smoothskin_.” She could hear the pain in his voice and ground her teeth together.

She growled under her breath and picked up her pace. Claws did the same and Rachel was glad he was so responsive to her.

Claws escorted her up two flights of stairs and she understood how she’d ended up on a different level of the vault. She didn’t have a great scene of direction when she was underground and the blind panic she’d been in compounded that problem.

It took them around eight minute to reach the edge of their battle ground. Dead Garys’ were everywhere and there was blood spatter even on the ceiling. Rachel recognized a small handprint on the wall as her own and shivered.

Rachel rounded the next corner and froze in her tracks. She didn’t know when she’d been expecting but this wasn’t it. Large splotches of blood shone brightly on the floor leading to her bodyguard and there was a long red trail down the wall behind him showing her where he’d slumped to the floor.

Rachel scrambled to his side, already fumbling for her sparse medical supplies. Charon looked like he was asleep and the sight sent a chill down her spine. He didn’t look up as she reached his still form, nothing to show he knew she was kneeling in front of him.

“ _Charon?_ ” she asked quietly, afraid that she’d taken too long.

Slowly, softly he groaned and rolled his head enough to look up at her.

“Charon!” she put a hand on his chest and his eyes squeezed shut against the pain her touch had caused. “Holy shit, I’m sorry! I’m…I’m gonna help you alright.”

“Rachel,” his voice was barely a whisper. “Get out.”

She ignored him.

“I know it frustrating but Charon I need you to stay awake okay?” No way in hell was she leaving him here to die. “That’s an order. Don’t go to sleep.”

He nodded, forcing his eyes open. Rachel ran a hand threw her hair, looking around and leaving a smear of Charon’s blood on her forehead. She needed to find somewhere safe to move him.

She jogged down to the end of the hall and gave silent thanks. They were in the living quarters.

Rachel went into the first room, giving the space a quick inspection. The two beds where intact and the doors locking mechanism worked.  “Thank all hell for small favors,” she whispered quickly going back to her waiting friends.

Charon was still awake as ordered, stair off into space.

“Can you stand?” she asked, crouching down beside him.

The big ghoul grumbled something she couldn’t hear and tried to get his legs under him. Rachel got his arm around her shoulders and hauled him up.  He leaned heavily on her five foot two inch frame and she swore. He was solid muscle and _heavy_.

“Why the _fuck_ are you nine feet tall?” she growled out, hoping to distract him while she got him to the other end of the hall. “And aren’t ghouls supposed to be scrawny malnourished little bastards? You’re a fuckin’ super mutant. It’s just nonsense.”

Charon gave a breathy chuckle close to her ear. “What?” he rasped weakly, “I too much man for you to handle?”

“Trust me,” she told him, getting him to stumble over the threshold. “I can handle anything you got.”

She sat him down on the nearest bed with a relieved sigh from her and a painfully groan from him. Rachel looked behind her and laughed, the sound bordering on hysterical. Claws had Charon’s gun in his jaws.

“Good Deathclaw,” She reached out her hand and the beast obediently dropped the weapon into her palm. Rachel put the shotgun on nightstand and handed Charon her pistol.

“This will be easier with all the holes you have. I’m going to go find the medical wing. I’m leaving Claws here with you in case more clones show up.”

Charon leaned back against the wall with a growl, shaking his head. “No, take him. I’ll be alright,”

Rachel scowled, she wanted to argue but she was acutely aware that time was not on her side. “Fine, stay alive okay.”

He nodded and she left quickly, Claws on her heels.

Now that she wasn’t running in a blind panic she had a better sense of direction and it only took her about ten minutes to find the medical wing. It was near were she’d fallen flat on her face. There was a single Gary inside the large room studying a dead raider on a medical table.

She didn’t know how she missed him but a single shot to the head was all she needed to take him down. Rachel opened a loose med kit and started shoving things into it. She found Rad-X and Rad-Way, a bottle of Buffout and a handful of Stimpaks. There were a few doses of Med-X in the desk drawer and a few bottles of softly glowing dirty water.

Rachel tucked the kit under her arm and stuffed a roll of clothe bandages in her pocket. She gave the room a last look over to make sure she hadn’t missed anything useful and stopped. On a table by the door sat what looked like a toy. Rachel picked it up and its head bobbled.

_Charisma: Nothing says pizazz like a winning smile_.

Rachel showed it to Claws. He tilted his head and sniffed it.

“You think this is worth the weight?”

He sneezed and she stuffed it into her pocket. Together the girl and the deathclaw jogged back to the living quarters. Charon was right where she left him. His eyes were closed but he opened them when she set the med kit on the edge of the bed and closed the door.

“You still here?” he asked softly.

“Did you ever doubt?” She asked, noting the alarming amount of blood soaking into the bed sheets.

“No, but I hoped.”

Rachel ignored him, pulling a bottle of irradiated water out of her pocket and shaking two tablets of Buffout into her palm. “Here, this should help while I dig those bullets out of you.”

Charon tried to obey but his hand shook so violently when he lifted the water bottle that Rachel took it from him. She unscrewed the cap and lifted it to his dry lips. Charon drank but he didn’t meet her eyes.

Rachel got the Buffout into him between gulps of water, hopping it would boost his strength enough to buy her some time for surgery. “I’m going to give you a couple doses of Med-X, okay?”

He nodded and Rachel quickly administered the drugs. She knew he would probably need another before she started digging but two would take the edge off. His soft sigh of relief let her know when the drugs were working.

Carefully Rachel undid the buckles and zipper of his armored leather jacket, hanging it off a chair behind her. Next she reached for the hem of his blood soaked shirt but he caught her hand. Rachel looked at her companion, startled. He’d moved incredibly fast for the condition he was in.

“Don’t-” he started but she cut him off.

“Charon it’s okay.” she whispered. “I told you I’m going to help you. You saved my life back there and now I’m going to return the favor. We’re partners. You can trust me.”

He took a long breath and then, slowly, let go of her wrist. Rachel kept her eyes on his as she tentatively cut and peeled his shirt away from his ruined flesh.

Under better circumstances she would have inspected what was left of his skin. His exposed muscle was fascinating but right now she had much more important things to do then ogle her bodyguard’s abs.

She took his pulse quickly while she counted the holes in him. His pulse was quick and light and _that_ was nerve-racking. So were the nine holes she counted along a myriad of bruising and cuts. There were three bullet holes in his right should and his left forearm was defiantly broken. There was a hole in his left bicep that was through in through. He had a bullet hole right above his collar bone. It had missed his windpipe by less than an inch. A nasty hole the left side of his chest was only inches from where his heart was and he had two in his stomach she’d have to be extra careful with.

The worst of them was a bullet implanted into his upper thigh and Rachel was sure it was embed in bone. It was certainly bleeding the most.

Rachel let out a long breath and administered a stimpak to the clean bullet hole in his bicep, the rest weren’t going to be so easy. Rachel met Charon’s eyes with her scalp in her hand. _I am not trained for this!_ Was screaming in her head and she hoped Charon couldn’t read it in her eyes.

“Do you trust me?”

Charon nodded weakly, “More than anyone else in the last couple hundred years.”

“Since you were under Ahzrukhal half of that time I guess the bar isn’t that high.” she tried to joke. “Feel free to pass out, it’ll probably be easier on both of us.”

Charon nodded and lay down on the bed. Rachel tried not to show how nervous she was. She’d dug out bullets before but they’d been in _her_ or they hadn’t been that bad. She’d never treated anyone this hurt before. She knew what had to be done but she also knew the hundreds of thing that could go wrong.

She might cause his death here tonight.

Rachel started with his shoulder and after giving him more Med-X she carefully inserting a pair of tweezers she kept for just this reason. When she started on the third bullet she noticed his breathing had evened out and his eyes were closed. He was either passed out or was deep in meditation, whichever it was she was glad.

After each bullet was removed she cleaned the wounds with a cloth soaked in a mix of irradiated water and vodka. After that Rachel applied gauze and wrapped him in bandages instead of giving him more stimpaks. She knew if she tried to do too many stimpaks the bullet holes she hadn’t cleared yet would close around the lead still stuck inside of him.

Once Rachel got started she forgot about her nerves and focused on the task at hand. The surgery took two and a half hours. She finished by setting his arm with a splint she’d made out of a leather belt and wood from a chair she’d broken up.

She wrapped a final set of bandages around him and applied both Stimpaks and Med-X. Then Rachel pulled the blanket off the other bed in the room and covered him up with it.

Now all she could do was wait.

Treating Charon had taken all of the medical skills she’d learned over the years and probably she still needed a good deal of luck but there wasn’t anything else she could do for him now.

Rachel suddenly felt cold and she looked down at herself, she was a mess. Her hands, arms and chest were covered in blood. She could feel a smear of it on her cheek and it was dripped onto her boots.

Ghoul or not no man should bleed this much and be okay. She was definitely going to have to have luck on her side to see him wake up from this. The red head told Claws to stand guard and went the bathroom across the hall to wash up. She looked even worse in the mirror.

Rachel scrubbed the blood off as quickly and thoroughly as possible. She checked her own injured shoulder in the mirror too before she left the bathroom and applied a stimpak when she got back to the room.

It wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. She’d have a good scar because she’d neglected it in favor of saving Charon but she’d proudly wear that scar as a badge of honor for the rest of her life.

Rachel finally got to look over Claws and frowned. He was filthy but she didn’t want to take him to the bathroom and leave Charon unguarded. Things would be a lot easier if she had their packs but they had decided to leave them near the entrance of the vault. It had seemed like a waste of energy to drag a bunch of useless junk around underground but now she wished she had it.

“I’ll have to go get them.” she told Claws softly, “ _Stay_ , and kill anyone trying to get in here who isn’t me.”

The girl hefted her gun and left quietly. She didn’t want to run into anything hostile and she didn’t on her way up to where they’d slept last night. It seemed like it had been a lot longer than just a handful of hours since she and Charon had spent the night here. Rachel found the bags tucked into a corner right where they’d been left that morning and hurried back to Claw’s and Charon.

Once back Rachel filled a pot with water from the bathroom and gave Claws a much needed bath. He had a few cut and his muzzle had a dark bruise from what looked like a bat but thankfully he hadn’t been shot at all.

When he was clean Claws climbed up onto the free bed and was almost instantly asleep. Rachel was a little envious of the beast, she was exhausted. She knew she could curl up next to her deathclaw but somebody had to keep watch. Besides, sleep never came to her easily.

 

* * *

 

Rachel was leaning against Charon’s bed fiddling with her Pipboy when she heard him moan softly. She looked at her green glowing clock in the corner of her Pipboy, he’d been out cold for over six hours.

She gave him another two doses of Med-X and put her palm on his forehead. The action was more out of habit than fear of infection but his flesh was hot under her skin. Rachel knew ghouls ran hotter than human, the trouble was she didn’t know how much hotter.

She looked around the room for something to make him more comfortable. There were no pillows and her pack was full of scrap metal for Winthrop so that wouldn’t help. Rachel double checked the lock on the door and then climbed onto the bed with him. She settled with her back against the wall and gently moved Charon’s head into her lap. When she’d been this hurt so many years ago Carla had done this for her and the contacted had helped her feverish mind.

Rachel turned her Pipboy volume down and switched on Galaxy News Radio to break the oppressive silence in the room. Butcher Pete was just finishing up and Three Dogs voice invaded the airways.

_“Hello Capitol Wasteland! It’s me! Three Dog! Now Children, I know I’ve told you this already but in case some of you have been living under a rock this month I’ll tell you again. Little miss 101, our very own Hero of the Wastes has said goodbye. We’ve got reports of her heading west. Hey there 101, I don’t know if you can hear me but if you can I hope you find what you’re looking for._

_Now Children you may think Ol Three Dog has been hitting the Jet again but I swear I speak truth. We’ve lost our savior 101 but it looks like we’ve gained an Angel of Death. Not too long ago I got a visit from a new walker of our neck of the wastes. I get a lot of reports folks and I have seen a lot of crazy things out here but I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. A girl with an honest to god Deathclaw in tow. That’s right children, a deathclaw. That’s one guard dog I don’t want to run into. If you’re in the D.C Ruin’s Angel stop buy the studio so I can give little Claws a pat!_

Rachel stared at her Pipboy with her mouth open as _Maybe_ started to play. She hadn’t listened to Galaxy News at all since meeting Three Dog. Sometimes it was playing over at Moriarty’s but she tuned it out while she talked with Gob and drank with Jericho.

Claws snorted, he’d picked his head up at the sound of his name but since it appeared that he wasn’t going to get a snack he settled back into sleep.

_Angel of Death huh?_ The nickname was probably the result of Charon and Claw at her back and the threats she gave the DJ regarding her identity. As far as nick names went she didn’t hate it. She didn’t hate being talked about on the radio station either as long as he kept it vague.

Charon grumbled in his sleep and his brown wrinkling in distress. She quietly stroked his forehead. If he was dreaming right now it didn’t seem like it was a pleasant one. Rachel pulled up her list of stored songs and found one they played in New Vegas a lot.

A smooth harmonica and guitar started to play and the girl softly sang along. It was the kind of song Rachel liked to fall asleep too and she hoped it would comfort her friend.

_“In the shadow of the valley_

_I would like to settle down_

_Wide open space_

_Wind on my face_.

“It’s alright Charon, you’re safe, _”_ She told him gently.

Charon quieted and she smiled softly. He was going to be fine, Ghouls were tougher than most humans and Charon was tougher than most ghouls. He’s has to be fine. _He just needs a little rest that’s all._

* * *

 

Charon looked down the long hallway he was in. There was only blackness behind him so he kept moving forward. He swore he could hear a voice, it was far away but it was there.

“Charon! I order you to come here.” He jerked to a halt and looked around. In a room to his right that he was sure hadn’t been there a minute ago was a man in a black military uniform. Charon immediately presented himself before the man.

“Yes sir,”

The man, the man who had trained him, read a file in his gloved hands. General John Green wasn’t pleased with whatever he was reading.

“Charon we have a spy on base. Find her and eliminate her.”

General Green showed him a picture of a pretty red head with feline eyes. Charon frowned at the picture. “Sir, she is my employer. It would be a direct violation of my contract to harm her in any way.”

Green scowled hard. “ _I_ am your employer, not some commiee bitch. Find her and kill her. That is an order.”

Charon wanted to argue but his body snapped to attention. He saluted and left immediately. It was her voice that he could hear. She was up ahead, he knew it. Charon hurried to finish his task quickly. The Captain didn’t like to be kept waiting and he was cruel with his punishments.

There she was. He saw her slip between to bookshelves. They were in a library; he didn’t know the base had a library. The girl he was instructed to kill was singing to herself. “ _In the shadow of the valley, I would like to settle down,_ ”

He turned into her isle in time to see her slip around the far corner. It didn’t seem to matter how fast he ran she was always just turning when he caught a glimpse of her. He just saw a flash of red hair or dark clothing.

“Wait!” he called, knowing it was stupid. What kind of spy waited for you to kill her?

He round yet another bookshelf and stopped short. She was there in a black tank top and ripped jeans that looked like they were being held together by duct tape and faith.

“Why did you stop?” he heard himself ask. Really he hadn’t wanted her too. He wanted her to run. She had to get away from him. Charon didn’t want to be the reason for this girl’s death.

“You asked me to.” she told him simply.

“You shouldn’t have.” He told and added apologetically. “I have orders to kill you.”

“I know, it’s too bad isn’t it? I wanted us to be friends.” She gave him the saddest smile he’d ever seen.

“Smoothskins aren’t friend with ghouls.” He told her but his own words confused him. Ghouls?

“Your skin looks pretty smooth to me and besides I wouldn’t care either way.” her voice was sweet and soft.  He looked at his human hands. They looked just like they always had and knew that she was telling the truth.

“I’m…I’m sorry I have to kill you. I promise I’ll make it as quick as I can.” he told the strange girl. If she was really a spy she didn’t seem to be very good. She’d let him catch her after all. That strange song led him right to her.

“Charon where are we?” She asked instead of commenting on her imminent death, looking around.

“How do you know my name?”

The red headed girl just smiled at him.

“The first vault, it is a model to show investors.” It was easy to talk to her. It shouldn’t be. He shouldn’t be this familiar with anyone. He especially shouldn’t be giving information to an enemy spy but he couldn’t see this girl working for anyone but herself.

“I’m going to save you.” the little red head said matter a factly.

“You can’t.” Charon whispered. “I really am sorry miss but I have orders, I need to kill you now.”

“Charon!” Green barked, appearing behind the girl. “I told you to kill her. If you can’t follow orders then you’re not prepared for deployment. Nurse!”

Fear slammed through him and he looked back, two nurses with fake smiles and needle filled with unknown liquid were there. They were going to drug him again, drug him and make him do things. Horrible things no man should be forced to do, he could almost hear the sobs of the children at his mercy. Mercy he wasn’t allowed to give.

Charon reached for his shotgun but it wasn’t on his back. There was a knife in his boot; he could take a few of these soulless people with him. After this exploit he would no doubt be labeled a failed subject and be eliminated. It was probably better that way anyway.

“ _Wide open space, wind on my face_ ,” the spy sang. Even now he didn’t believe she was a spy. She wasn’t his employer, Green was, but he still felt he knew this girl and that she did mean to try and save him.

The nurses eyes turned black and they advanced, hissing through pointed teeth. Charon backed away, whatever was in those needles…he didn’t want it. He bumped into something and the girl stepped around him. The nurses stopped as the spy made a shooing motion with her hands. “Please go away,” she told them politely. The nurses looked at each other and nodded, vanishing.

“Charon, I order you to kill that spy.” Green snapped, turning red. He was furious.

“She is my…” Charon looked between the girl and the captain. They were both his employer. That was _impossible_ , he could only have one. His head felt like it was going to explode, he ran a hand through his hair and backed against one of the bookshelves.

His chest hurt too, a lot, and his shoulder and his leg. It was like he’d been shot. It was his punishment for disobeying. Green must have shot him. For a moment Charon wondered if he’d be allowed to die.

No, General Green was not that merciful.

“ _Kill Her!”_

Charon looked at the General with wide eyes. He was going to be punished for disobeying. He deserved it but he couldn’t kill an employer either. Green glared at Charon and the bookshelf behind him suddenly went soft. The wood turned to a strange putty and pulled Charon’s limbs into it. It was going to consume him, he’d suffocate when covered his nose and mouth. After everything he’d done thought he couldn’t bring himself to feel anything but regret.

The girl whose name he didn’t know stepped between him and General Green. “Be quiet please, you are upsetting him.”

With the General distracted the wood stopped eating him, instead he was trapped there.

“I’ll do whatever I damn well please with my own _employee_.” the General snapped, stepping close to the spy.

The girl leaned into the taller man’s face, her soft voice suddenly taking on a very dangerous edge. “You will not hurt him while I’m still breathing.”

The girl reached into her shirt and pulled out an ancient looking paper square from her breast. She unfolded it and held it up for the General to see. He swore and pulled a clean sheet from the folder suddenly in his hands.

“I have his contract girl, who do you think you are?!”

The girl smiled brightly, “I’m Rachel,” she made a gun with her fingers and mouthed “ _Bang”_. Green dissolved into black dust, he didn’t even have time to scream.

Charon tried to gasp but he started coughing. Rachel took his hand and pulled him from the shelf. Charon fell to his knees, coughing violently. She hugged him like he was a child who’d had an awful nightmare, hushing him. “Shh, it’s alright, Charon you’re safe with me _. You have always be there, And you always will be_ …”

_Sage brush and Pine…_

_Old Friends of mine,_

_A little bit further…_

* * *

 

Charon snapped his eyes open, Rachel was looking down at him with those familiarly calm feline eyes. She was stroking his scalp with her thumb and singing that song as it played from her Pipboy.

_I will find my rest_

It was unusual for a smoothskin to offer this kind of comfort to a ghoul and Charon found it even stranger that it was being offered to _him_. The contact was both comforting and made him uncomfortable at the same time.

Rachel blinked when he shifted slightly and when her eyes focused on his she smiled.

“You’re awake.”

His face must have reflected some of what he was thinking because she took her hand away from his skin and blushed. “Sorry, you looked like you were having a nightmare and I didn’t know what else to do.”

“It’s fine smoothskin,” he rasped. His throat was incredibly dry. Rachel reached for something out of his range of sight and when her hand retuned it held a bottle of irradiated water. He leaned forward long enough to gulp down the water with her help and then settled back down again.

It was now that he realized where she was exactly. “You don’t have to be my pillow.”

Rachel’s lips curled up into that now familiar smile. “I don’t have to do a lot of things. I’m glad you woke up, for a while I wasn’t sure if you would.”

“It’s going to take more than a couple bullets to drop me kid.” He told her although from what he recalled she was probably right to have feared the worst.

“Nine.”

“What?’

“I pulled nine 10mm slugs out of you and I reset your arm so try not to move it to much until you’re sure it’s done healing.” Rachel told him.

“How long-”

“You’ve been asleep for a little over sixteen hours.”

Charon slowly looked around the room and then back up at his employer, awed at her loyalty to an old slave. “You stood watch for sixteen hours?”

She shrugged. “Hey, what are friends for? Now go back to sleep and if you think you’re up to it we’ll get the fuck outta here in the morning.”

“No, I can be awake for a little while. You try and get some rest.”

Rachel looked like she wanted to argue but her exhaustion won out and she nodded. She moved and he expected her to go to the other bed with Claws but instead she curled up next to him. She was careful not to bump into any of his injuries but she did put her hand on his wrist and squeezed.

“I really am glad you’re alive.” she whispered with her eyes already closed.

Charon wasn’t sure how to process this woman sleeping so close to him or the level of consideration she had given him since he’d been hurt. Finally he whispered, “So am I smoothskin.” but she was already asleep.


	22. Chapter 22

Rachel’s eyes drifted opened silently.

She didn’t move but Charon had been looking at her face when she’d woken up. She’d only slept a couple hours so instead of greeting her he waited, willing her to close her eyes again.

Charon had his arm wrapped around her shoulders from when she snuggled close to him. She’d been cold to the touch he couldn’t denied her his body heat. Soon after he’d tossed the extra blanket from his pack over the both of them.

The ghoul knew it was another nightmare that had woken his mistress. She’d been whimpering with a scowl on her face for the last few minutes.

Instead of closing those golden irises again she shifted, looking at his face and she smiled at him sleepily. Charon knew from experience that the first half hour Rachel was awake she ran on auto pilot.

It would be useless to try to talk to her so he nodded a greeting back and Rachel rested her head on his chest. He gritted his teeth against the stab of pain that went through the bullet hole under her ear but he didn’t move her. In a very odd way he felt…comfortable…her being so relaxed near him.

Rachel dozed for another few minutes, her arm sneaking up and wrapping around his waist. He was no longer comfortable with her proximity. That arm draped over him had moved her touch from trusting friend to something much more intimate.

Charon wasn’t sure what to do about the woman being so close to him though so he left her there in the end.

While Rachel dozed Charon distracted himself by taking a carful inventory of his body. His muscles hurt but the crazy little red headed woman curled up next to him had done a good job treating his injuries. It would still take a few days to be one hundred percent but he wasn’t dead or crippled, it displayed her skill as a medic.

Rachel shifted against his side, drawing his attention back to her pale face. She was sleep deprived and had been seriously injured recently herself. They should go back to Megaton as soon as possible.

She stretched and made a noise that was half way between a moan and a purr. Her eyes opened again and for a second she looked confused. Realization dawned on her face and she looked at him with half lidded eyes, propping herself up on her elbows.

“Gr’ongin,” she mumbled in a pleasant tone, that sleepy smile curling her lips again. Charon smirked in spite of his personal discomfort as she looked up at him through her bleary eyes.

“Good Morning,”

The girl mumbled something else and he caught the words _you_ and _blanket_. The whole thing sounded like a question and he had a pretty good idea about what she was asking him about.

“Yes, you were cold so I covered you up with the blanket.”

Rachel smiled up at him and mumbled something else that sounded like it was supposed to be along the lines of; _you’re so nice to me._

“No, I’m a mean old man.” he rumbled softly, his foggy blue eyes settling on those soft red lips that smiled at him so easily. It was like she didn’t realize he was a ghoul and a slave. Poor girl missed all of that and thought he was a person. She was only a few inches away; if he leaned down he could press-

Charon realized where his mind was going and he cut off the train of thought immediately. He met his employer’s eyes guiltily but instead of picking up on his lecherous thoughts her eyes were wondering over him, stopping on the blood stained bandage her head had been on. She touched it softly and it seemed to wake her up.

“Charon! If I was on your wounds you should have woken me up.” She scolded gently and then realized what had just come out of her mouth. “I mean…I…I’m sorry I was on you, I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable.”

_Only a lot_ , “It’s fine smoothskin.”

The bed depressed on his other side and Charon turned his head. Claws had his head on the edge of the bed, looking up at the ghoul. Charon put his hand on top of the beast head and gave him a rare scratch. His muscles were incredibly stiff but the pleased purr like rumble coming from the deathclaw made the pain worth it.

Rachel leaned over her friend and rubbed her pets head too. Charon froze as her body slid across his, apparently Rachel had forgotten his very strict no touching policy. Not that she’d ever _not_ touched him but two days ago she’d given an effort.

Rachel climbed over him and slid out of bed. She stretched again, popping her neck and her back with her arms about her head. Charon averted his eyes when her caught sight of her bare legs and black panties. Where she’d found panties with lace around the top he’d never know because he’d never ask. Realizing her naked legs had been tangled with his he almost went pale as his discomfort level skyrocketed.

“Rachel?”

“hmm?” She looked over her shoulder at the ghoul starring at the ceiling. “You look a little sick… do you need more Med-X?”

“Where are your pants?” he croaked.

She looked down at herself and then around the room. “I don’t know.”

Charon wanted to cock an eyebrow at her but if he looked at her now he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to look away. _She was sleeping pressed into my side, how the hell did she get her pants off?_

Charon heard her move towards him, the bed sunk and the blanket still covering his lower half shifted.

“Here they are, I must have kicked them off.” he felt her move back off his bed but didn’t hear the sound of her dressing.

“Charon why are you looking at the ceiling?” she asked curiously.

“You are not decent.”

“So? You’ve seen me pants-less before. I have the stitches to prove it.” she was trying to joke with him but he didn’t bite.

“You were hurt.” he replied, wishing with all his soul that she’d get dressed. “I was thinking of your safety.”

There was a pause and he could almost hear her grinning. “So what would you be thinking about if you looked at me _now_?”

“Rachel put your pants on.” He growled. “ _Please_.”

She giggled and he heard the rustle of fabric. “You’re no fun.”

“ _Fun_ , is not in my contract.” he growled, peeking out of the corner of his eye as she laughed. Thankfully she was finally dressed. Rachel rubbed her eyes and Charon grumbled.

“You should go back to sleep. You don’t sleep enough.”

“I don’t sleep _ever_ ,” she corrected him still smiling, “besides; I already have my pants back on.”

Charon got up and accepted the spare shirt Rachel pulled out of his pack for him. The girl watched him pull the fabric over his head, taking a moment to appreciate his chiseled torso. He was a fine figure of a man even bandaged. Rachel flicked her eyes up and blushed, he’d caught her staring.

“What?” The ghoul challenged, yanking his shirt down to cover himself and Rachel blushed a little harder.

“Um, I…I was wondering what happened to your necklace?” She lied, only now noticing it wasn’t around his neck. He looked like he didn’t believe her but Charon pulled the chain from his pocket and donned it anyway.

Rachel hummed, turning to gather up their supplies. Charon didn’t say anything and together they left the vault as quickly as they could. The daylight was a beautiful sight even though the scenery was less than sweet.

The corpses of the Talon Company mercenaries where still there, one of them was missing a leg now though and a second had very clearly been chewed on. Rachel paused long enough to grab the Combat Shotgun that had caught her eye when those men had attacked but then moved on quickly.

“Where are we going?” Charon asked after an hour of walking.

“Um, vault 101?” Rachel asked, looking up at him. He was finally walking beside her instead of behind. She like having him in her peripheral vision, it helped kill the loneliness that the wasteland never failed to impress on her.

“Vault 101?”

“Yeah, we both need a safe place to lay low. You almost died yesterday and I have a price on my head. I think a vault, _one not filled with psychos_ , would be a great place to hide out.”

“We don’t know that 101 isn’t full of insane vault dwellers.”

“But Gomez wasn’t insane.” Rachel argued.

Charon sighed, “We weren’t with him that long. We don’t know that for sure.”

Rachel grinned recklessly and linked her arm with his. “You worry too much, Vault 101 is one of the safest places in the wasteland and the best part is not very many people know it’s open now.”

Charon grumbled his disagreement but he didn’t argue. She was probably right in any case, he just didn’t want to be an entire vaults new main attraction. It was doubtful that any of them had seen many ghouls.

It had been early in the morning when they left vault 108. Now as the afternoon sun beat down on them Charon started to wonder how his little smoothskin had the stamina that she did. She wasn’t trained like he was. Rachel was still hurt despite her effort to hide it from him. She’d only slept two and a half hours after being awake for god knows how long, and yet still she was humming to herself while she skipped along the hard packed dessert.

He’d noticed when he’d woken that she was missing the first three inched from the bottom of her shirt and the jacket she was wearing only went to her ribs. It gave him an excellent view of her stomach and the tickle of blood that had started dripping from one of her guns shot wounds a few seconds ago.

“Rachel, you’re bleeding.” He told her calmly.

“What?” she looked down at herself and grimaced, wiping the blood away with her thumb. “It’s fine, we’re out of stimpaks anyway.”

“It should be healed more by now,” he commented, suddenly becoming suspicious. “How many stimpaks have you used on yourself?”

Rachel looked away from him and it made the big ghoul more suspicious.

“Rachel?”

“Two, the one you used and one of the one’s I found. I reopened it when I fell in the vault though.”

“Why didn’t you use another one?” he demanded.

Rachel glared; she didn’t like his tone right now. “I used them all on you!” she snapped, rounding on him. “You’re seven feet tall and left most of your blood on the floor! _You_ _know_ ghouls are drug resistant, I wish I hadn’t used that one for my shoulder. It would have been that much more of a chance you were going to wake up!”

Charon tried to be furious but the distraught emotion behind her snapping eyes defused him. “When we get to the vault I would like to take you to the medic.” he told her in a calmer voice. Rachel relaxed and nodded.

“You should get checked out too,” she told him as they started walking again.

“Yeah, I’m sure the doctor there will be an expert in ghoul physiology.” Charon grumbled sarcastically.

“Ghoul’s are just people who’ve adapted to surviving in the wasteland,” Rachel told him, scanning the horizon.

“I’ve never heard anyone say that before.”

“My own theory. Think about it. Ghouls are just the next stage in evolution,”

“But ghouls can’t procreate.”

“You can live hundreds of years,” She reminded him. “Evolution gave you an extended lifespan while it works out the kinks.”

Charon snorted, “You’re insane.”

“I know but I’m okay with it.”

 

* * *

 

“Should we knock?” Rachel asked her companion with her hands on her hips. They were standing outside an ancient beaten wooden door. There wasn’t anyone that they could see but her Pipboy said they were right on top of the vault. Charon grumbled and reached around her. He yanked open the door to reveal a long dark cavern. There was a pack Brahmin inside so Rachel assumed they were in the right place.

Charon wanted to get this over with so he put a hand between her shoulder blades and pushed her through the opening with a little more force then he’d intended. Rachel just started walking instead of question him and he knew that he was lucky to have an employer as laid back as she was.

His battered body ached and he’d been bleeding from his shoulder for the last hour. Lucky the bulk of it was under his armor and in the darkness Rachel hadn’t noticed, she’d just get worried about him if she had.

Rachel herself had been dripping blood intermittently since there argument in the wasteland that afternoon. It wasn’t a life threatening at the moment but it concerned him that she had opened herself to infection for his sake.

Rachel led the way down the long and narrow tunnel with her hand on her pistol. Her Pipboy announced that there where people up ahead, they were green but recent experience had taught her to be cautious. She decided longer range would be better is the people ahead attacked and took her rifle off her shoulder, Charon followed suit with his combat shotgun.

A man in a 101 jumpsuit and a bullet-proof vest stepped forward when he saw them approaching. The 10mm in his shaking hand gave Rachel the insane urge to giggle but she bit her tongue. It would be better to not to insult the man right off.

“State your business,” the first guard called while the other three watched nervously. The man was a few inches taller than Rachel and his face reminded her if Gomez, it wouldn’t surprise her to find out they were related. In the darkness of the tunnel he hadn’t noticed the ghoul behind her.

Charon growled and cocked his shotgun, bringing the man’s gaze over Rachel’s shoulder. He could tell there was another figure behind the girl but he couldn’t see details in the low lamp light.  “How many of you are there?”

Rachel smiled and pointed her gun to the ground politely, “My name is Rachel, we’re here to see Gomez.”

The security guard frowned. “I’m Gomez, what do you want me for?”

Rachel laughed softly. “I’m sorry you must call him Freddie here. Did he make it back alright?”

Gomez senior regarded the girl and the big shape behind her for a moment before he turned to one of his men. “Go find Freddie and tell him to get down here.” the man nodded and alarms sounded as the door hissed and lurched open.

The messenger disappeared and Gomez Senior turned back to the wastelanders in front of him. “We’ll need to verify your identity before we can let you.” he explained and Rachel nodded.

“Of course, it would be a good way to get your vault massacred if you let just anyone in.”

“Who’s with you…Rachel was it?”

“Yes sir, Rachel Boone. And this is my partner Charon, say hello Charon.”

The ghoul behind her growled and she grinned, looking at Officer Gomez. “Sorry, he’s not a people person. If you wouldn’t mind holstering your weapons Charon will put his gun down too. We come in peace.” she told him, shouldering her rifle slowly and putting her hands up.

Officer Gomez hesitated and then nodded, putting his gun away. Charon lowered his too when the two remaining guards followed their captain and Rachel heard the barest whisper of a sigh behind her.

_His shoulder must kill right now_.

“You’re hurt,” Gomez senior told her, an edge of concern in his voice.

Rachel wiped the little rivulet of blood away with her thumb and flapped her hand dismissively. “We’ve had a little trouble over the past few days. This is nothing to worry about, I’ve had _much_ worse.” a growl behind her made Rachel roll her eyes. “I mean, if I could see you’re medic while we’re here it would be much appreciated.”

The elder Gomez’s eye squinted in Charon’s direction but the ghoul was very purposely staying back in the shadows to avoid the inevitable. Quick paced footsteps from inside the vault sounded and Gomez the younger’s voice called, “Dad, you wanted to see me?”

Freddie appeared and before his farther could answer a grin split his son’s face. “Rachel! How the hell are you?” He greeted, stepping forward and clasping arms with her. His face was washed but he was still wearing the clothes she’d given him.

“Freddie!” his farther barked, “language!”

Freddie flinched but Rachel just grinned, “Gomez! We have had our fair share of combat since the Commons. You know; an old vault full of blood thirsty clones, paid mercenaries gunning for me. It’s been a little more exciting then I was hoping for.” she laughed at the shock on his face. “I see you made it back alright, how the hell ya’ been?”

“I just got back a few hours ago. Crow is here if you want to talk to him about armor. Seems like you’ve lost some of yours.”

“Part of my shirt had to be sacrificed for bandages; it has been a _long_ couple days. Charon got the worst of it though.” she told her vault friend, looking back over her shoulder.

Freddie looked at the man behind Rachel reached out to shake his hand saying, “Good to see you, are you alright?”

Charon shook the kid’s hand once and growled, “Fine,”

“We should probably get this over with,” she told her bodyguard and she saw him nodded.  Rachel gave Freddie a meaningful look and after a moment of thought he caught her meaning and nodded. Rachel smiled at the officers watching them. “Okay, since I’m sure none of you have had any contact with the outside I’m warning you that Charon isn’t _technically_ …human.”

“What do you mean?” Officer Gomez asked, his hand going to rest on his gun.

Rachel scowled at him, “No, he’s taken enough bullets over the last couple of days. If you shoot him I _will_ shoot you back. Charon is a ghoul. A human who was exposed to too much radiation and instead of dying, mutated. It’s not contagious; it’s just something that happens.”

The four security guards looked at each other and finally Gomez Sr. nodded. “We had one ghoul here a few years ago. Not for long but he was decent enough.”

Rachel stepped to the side, her sharp eyes never leaving the guards. She heard Charon curse under his breath and heard the scuff off his boots as he stepped into the light. The men’s eyes all went wide and one of them drew his weapon.

Rachel stepped between her friend and the frightened man with her rifle up faster than any of the men could follow. Slowly the man lowered his pistol, correctly reading the threat in her eyes. Rachel shouldered her gun and turned to smirk at her body guard but she noted the small pained quint to his eyes and the slight paleness to the muscle exposed on his face. 

“Charon?” she asked uncertainly.

“I’m fine smoothskin.” he told her a little too quickly while he glared at the guards.

Rachel wasn’t fooled for a second. She slid her hand under his metal shoulder plate where he’d been hurt the worst and felt how soggy the leather was. Her eye flicked down and she growled when she saw how much blood from his shoulder was soaking into his pants.

“God damn it Charon!” Rachel snarled, “Why didn’t you tell me your shoulder opened? We could have spent the night in Megaton next to the bomb, or in the wasteland!” Rachel shouted, flinging her hand back towards the door. Charon was startled, he’d never heard her yell before, not at anyone.

“Gomez!” Furiously Rachel rounded on Freddie, “Infirmary. Now!”

Freddy nodded and led the way quickly without another word. None of the officers tried to stop them and Rachel wasn’t sure if they were still in shock or if they were afraid of what she’d do to them if they tried.

Vault dwellers gasped or swore when they passed. One woman actually screamed when they rounded a corner but the little group ignored everyone. Gomez led them down a hallway and took a sharp right into the medical room.

“Christine,” Freddie called as they entered. “We have some work for you.”

A pretty girl with dark brown hair was sitting at a desk wearing a lab coat. She looked up when the door opened and bit her fist to stifle the cry of shock when she saw Charon stumble across her threshold. He stumbled because Rachel, in her haste to get him help, had pushed him.

Christine stood quickly and her mouth opened but nothing came out. A red head she’d never seen before was with Freddie and the ghoul that had just walked into her clinic. This was a much bigger ghoul than the one Anna had brought all those years ago.

The girl was quiet obviously furious with the tall…man? Yes, man. These creatures from outside were…or at least they used to be…human. Freddie shot an apologetic look at the wide eyed doctor. The red head pointed stiffly to the exam table in the middle of the room, barking orders at the big man.

“Charon, sit.” She ordered. “When you’re better I’m gonna kick your ass for being so _fucking_ stupid! Why in the nine circles of hell would you put yourself in this much danger. Do you know how bad of an infection you can get from swetting wasteland dirt into your open wounds all day?” Rachel was pacing like caged deathclaw, “ _Yes_ , you _do_!  I know you do! So tell me why, why didn’t you say something to me!”

She rounded on the ghoul again and he looked at the floor quickly, he was just a little afraid of the woman half his size and it made him a lot less terrifying to the young doctor. “My apologies mistress, I did not wish to hinder you.” he told her quietly.

Christine watched the girl stiffen and fix her companion with the coldest glare she’d ever seen. “You best _not_ be pulling that formal shit with me just to piss me off Charon,” she snarled and Charon flinched

“No misstr- _Rachel_.” Charon gulped and steeled his resolve. She was angry with him but he did have standing orders to act as he wished. It was more or less a loop hole in his training but he could see Rachel working herself into a rage. It wasn’t something he wished to experience cowering in the corner.

If she was going to finally punish him for something he was going to have a satisfaction of knowing he’d faced her as a man. He glared back at her trying to calm his humming nerves. None of his other employers had made him feel so spooked and it was confusing that she was doing so now.

She was the first employer he’d ever had that he found truly unpredictable.

“ _Rachel_.” Charon managed to growl out without stuttering. “Calm down, you’re scaring the doctor.”

Rachel turned to the wide eyed physician, noticing her for the first time. The woman took half a step back and Rachel growled, walking in a little circle while she calmed herself. She took a deep breath and then another. Large hands settled on her shoulders and she was guided to the chair the doctor had been sitting in a few minutes ago. Rachel sat and looked up at her ghoul, her anger deflating.

“Charon if you die on me I’m gonna’ be pissed.”

“You’re already pissed,” he said, handing her his shotgun and dropping his pack at her feet. “You’re shaking, are you alright?”

Rachel nodded slowly and shifted her eyes to the frightened doctor. “Sorry, I didn’t give you the best first impression.”

The doctor looked between to two people and then smiled nervously, “It’s okay, when friends are hurt it can be… _stressful_.”

Rachel laughed and wiped her suddenly wet eyes. The doctor turned her nervous gaze to Charon. “Um, I’m not sure what I can do for you but I’ll treat you if I can, I’m Doctor Christine Kendall.”

Charon nodded and went back to the examine table when Christine gestured to it. She looked him over slowly and finally sighed, “I think I’m going to have to start with a blood sample. Do you know what infections you are susceptible too? I’m afraid I don’t have much experience with ghouls.”

Charon shook his head, “I am injured, ghouls generally don’t get ill.” when the girl looked at him with wide eye he sighed, “Our bodies use the radiation in the land as a kind of cure all for disease.”

“Fascinating, I’d like to talk to you more about that but that can wait until you’ve been treated.” She told him, scribbling hastily onto a clipboard. “Please, remove your armor for me.”

He reached for a buckle of his armor and sent a glare at Freddie. The less people here the better. He didn’t need the whole damn wasteland seeing his ruined body.

It took the boy a minute to understand but when he did he gave a little start and announced that he’d wait outside.

Charon growled softly when he lifted his shoulder to remove his armor. Getting his shirt off was a little harder but Dr. Kendall came to his aid when she saw he was having trouble. It hurt his pride but not has much as when Rachel had had to hold the water bottle for him.

“What happened?” the doctor asked after inspecting his shoulder with a penlight.

“Got shot, ran into trouble while scavenging. Rachel already drug out the lead.” he told the woman.

Dr. Kendall hesitated and then applied disinfectant, stimpaks and bandages. She offered him some Med-x but he refused. When he was allowed to get off the table he immediately guided Rachel to where he’d been. She was being unusually quiet. Her silence bothered him more then when she’d been yelling at him.

“She has been neglecting her own wounds to care for mine.” He told the doctor. Rachel grumbled and crossed her arms uneasily.

“I’m fine,” she mumbled softly.

“No,” Charon told her. “You’re not.”

“I just want a drink.”

“No.”

“ _Charon_ ,” Rachel pleaded but he shook his head.

“No. I might be infection resistant but you are most certainly not.”

“Fine,” Rachel growled and lifted what was left of her shirt to show the Doctor. Christine tsked softly and got a cotton ball and a bottle of antiseptic from the shelf.

“I’m afraid you do have some minor infection in a few of these, I’ll need you to roll down your pants so I can treat the ones on your leg. And go ahead and remove your jacket.” Dr. Kendall turned to Charon with a reassuring smile, “You can wait outside while-”

“Absolutely not.” He cut in. “Rachel does not leave my sight.”

“but- I need her to undress,” she explained nervously.

“It’s fine,” Rachel told the woman, sounding incredibly tired. “Charon’s the one that gave me the stitches. He’s seen it all before.”

Christine pursed her lips but in the end she didn’t have a choice. Rachel rolled down her pants as instructed and the doctor removed the stiches and applied Stimpaks after disinfecting each bullet hole.

“Alright Rachel, I’ll do your shoulder and you’ll be free to go.” she told the red headed wastelander pleasantly.

“My shoulder is _fine_ , really.”

Dr. Kendall frowned and looked at the shoulder. She could see the edge of a nasty bruise and the leather was dark with old blood.

“Rachel?” Charon questioned from his place against the far wall.

Rachel looked at him guilty and sighed in utter defeat. Slowly she slid off her jacket and Christine gasped. Despite the stimpak she’d used the bullet hole was still a knotted mess of scabbed tissue and the skin was an ugly bluish green and purplish grey from bruising.

The bruise started around her bullet wound but branched out into the long imprint of Charon’s fingers from when he’d grabbed her. She’d been hoping to buy a few stimpaks and take care of it before he saw.

Rachel looked up at him. He was staring at her shoulder with unbridled horror on his face. “ _Rachel_ …did I…is that _my_ -”

“It wasn’t your fault.” She told him firmly, “One of the Gary’s hit me with a bat and then I got shot and then you grabbed me. I took a stim but my shoulder bone must have been cracked because it barely took care of the bullet. I didn’t want you to see it.”

Christine stepped out of the way as Charon moved to his mistress. He’d never hurt an employer before, even in an effort to protect their lives he’d never left a mark. Gently he touched the swollen discolored skin and he saw Rachel wince.

“I didn’t mean too…” he whispered miserably. The look on his face was exactly why she hadn’t wanted him to see. Rachel wished he hadn’t seen.

“I know, Charon you _saved my life_. A little bruise is a small price to pay to still be breathing.” She told her friend. “I really didn’t want you to see it.”

“Rachel I’m-“

“I know, now let the lady do her work and we’ll go find a drink and some food. Okay?”

Charon nodded but he still looked horrified. Christine gave Rachel’s shoulder two stimpaks in case there was still damage to the bone and wrapped it up in white bandages for safety. Rachel and Charon where both given strict instruction to take it easy for a couple day and to come back if they had any problems.

Rachel thanked the doctor and tried to give her a few caps for her trouble but she shook her head saying it was a good learning experience.

Rachel looked at Charon out of the corner of her eye as they left the clinic together. “I really am fine you know.”

“I still hurt you,”

“To saved my life.” She insisted.

_I still hurt you…_

 

 


	23. Chapter 23

“How can I convince you that you didn’t do anything wrong?” Rachel asked her stoic ghoul in their assigned room.

Freddie had brought them to a little apartment when they were done with the medic. He explained that the whole wing they were in had been recently reopened for travelers so the two of them wouldn’t have very many neighbors this time around.

Now it was just the two of them and Rachel was trying to get Charon to stop feeling so damn guilty. He was leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed, avoiding her eyes. He hadn’t said a single word since the infirmary. He hadn’t really looked at her either. Hell, he hadn’t even glared at the vault residents who were staring at them as Freddie led them to this room. It was that last one that really had her worried about him.

“ _Charon_ ,” she pleaded with him. “It’s just a bruise. A bruise is insignificant. Barely a drop in the ocean especially compared to the other injuries we’ve both collected over the last few days.”

“You are my employer.” his words where quiet and he kept his eyes on his boots but at least she’d gotten a response. “I protected you ineffectively. I should be punished for leaving a mark on your skin.”

Rachel sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. Even if she were to agree she couldn’t think of anyway to punish him that fit his crime because in her mind there hadn’t been crime. She was angrier that he’d neglected his own injuries than she was about the bruise on her shoulder. Rachel blinked and looked up at him.

“If you want to be punished then fine, I’ll punish you. Not today but soon. I need to think of something fitting.” she told him, watching the relief spread over his face. She’d find something he didn’t want to do and let him think it was for whatever he wanted.

“ _Thank you.”_ Charon breathed, some of the tension draining out of his shoulders.

“Charon I want apologize for yelling at you earlier.” She told him, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

“You were very angry.”

“I saw that you were bleeding and I suppose I’m a little protective of the people close to me.”

The ghoul’s eyes snapped up to her face for the first time, studying her carefully. “You consider us close?”

“Of course I do!” Rachel blushed at the unintended volume in her voice and made an effort to calm herself. “You’re probably the closest friend I’ve ever had. I’ve been close to people before but not like with you. I trust you. That’s a new feeling for me. I’ve never trusted anyone other than Boone as much as I trust you.”

“You shouldn’t trust me.” He warned her seriously. “If someone else got a hold of my contract and ordered me to kill you I would do without a second thought.” Even as he said the words he thought of the fever dream he’d had.

He had been prepared to kill her for the General but he had objected to it. Charon wanted to believe that if he ever was ordered to kill Rachel he would be able to fight it long enough for her to get away.

“I know,” Rachel gave him a sad little smile. “And if that ever happens I want you to know that I forgive you.”

“What?” Charon was looking at her like she had another piping hot grenade cake for him.

“It’s not your fault.” Rachel explained, ignoring the look on his face. “You would be killing me because you don’t have any control over yourself. That being the case… I forgive you.”

Charon just kept looking at her. He didn’t know what to say but he couldn’t look away. Rachel shifted under his gaze self-consciously and finally dropped her eyes to the floor.

“Anyway, I’m sorry. I don’t know you as well as you know yourself and I may have over reacted a little bit.” Rachel wasn’t looking at him. Instead she had her eyes locked on her dusty boots.

“I appreciate your apology.” He told her sincerely, looking her over carefully now that they’d said what needed to be said. Rachel was still pale and the black circles under her eyes were almost as dark as his handprint on her should.

“Are you tired?” he asked even though he knew the answer already.

“I really am. Do you ever have nightmares?”

 _Frequently_. Charon nodded. “Yes.”

 “Me too.” Rachel sighed and then shook her head. When she looked up again she had a smile on her face that didn’t really reach her eyes and she put her hands on her hips. “I’m hungry. Are you hungry? Let’s go find somethin’ to eat.”

“We have food in our packs.”

“I want to see what kind of food the vaulties eat.” Rachel paused and gave Charon a second glance. “Oh, I mean you don’t’ have to come if you’re uncomfortable eating with a bunch of spooked smoothskins…”

“No, my pride has taken too many hits this week to hide in my room.” Charon grumbled “And god only knows what you could get yourself into without someone there to watch over you.”

Rachel just grinned at him, happy he was starting to act like the ghoul she’d grown to like and respect. She hit the button for the door and a dark skinned woman blinked with her hand raised to knock on the door that was no longer there. “Oh. Hello, I came to welcome you to vault 101. I’m Overseer Amata.”

Rachel stuck out her hand pleasantly. “I’m Rachel.”

Amata shook the offered hand but she gasped when her eyes fell on the seven foot creature standing in the middle of the room with its arms crossed.

Rachel didn’t miss a beat. She jerked her thumb over her shoulder with a smile that never wavered. “Tall dark and harmless behind me is Charon. He’s my travel partner and bodyguard.”

“Bodyguard?” Amata asked, wondering for a second who this woman was to need a bodyguard. Although the merchant that had come back with Freddie also traveled with a bodyguard so maybe it was just how the outside was.

“Of course, the Capitol Wasteland is a dangerous place. Being a woman alone is even more dangerous, right Charon?” She asked him.

“Being _harmless_ I’m not very effective for her protection.” he drawled and Rachel laughed.

“Awe, Charon I didn’t mean it.” She smiled brightly over her shoulder at him and Charon had the oddest fluttering sensation in his chest. “I know you’re the most deadly thing on two legs.”

He simply nodded and Rachel turned back the wide eyed Overseer. “We were just gonna go find some food, want to show us the way?”

Amata eyed Charon and for a second Rachel thought that the woman was going to forbid the ghoul from leaving the room. Instead she shook herself slightly and turned, asking them to follow. She didn’t say much on the short walk to the cafeteria but she did point out the bathrooms and common area and explained the rules that were instilled in the vault.

It was a very basic list of places that were restricted and a few rules that were the basic don’t steal anything or kill anyone that most settlements had. Amata didn’t say anything about their weapons and Rachel was glad, she hated not being visibly armed.

The cafeteria was small and when they walked in every pair of eyes moved to gawk at them. There were as many curious faces as there were frightened ones. There were only two other people in the crowded eating area not wearing Vault-Tec blue.

 

The pair of weathered looking men, both in leather armor, was seated at a corner table. One was nursing what looked like a glass of whisky with his head down and the other was grinning directly at Rachel. When he caught her eye he waved them over and she nodded.

“You two don’t look like you belong,” she smiled as she settled into the seat next to the man she assumed was the visiting trader.

“Precisely why I waved you over. We wastelanders have to stick together.” her grinned. Rachel instantly liked him. There was something about the man that made her glad he was here.

“What do you trade? I saw your Brahmin the tunnel and bodyguards aren’t usually so openly friendly.”

They both glanced over at their respective bodyguards. Both Charon and the other man were hunched over on the table. He growled in Rachel’s direction in response to her remark and the man next to him silently took the Traders empty glass, filled it with amber liquid and slid it in the ghoul’s direction. Charon took the offered drink with the barest hint on a nod and it was the end of the interaction on the other side of the table.

“I am Crow, seller the finest armor available on this side of the country; the spirits tell me you will be very interested.”

“Maybe after we eat, as you can see most my shirt was sacrificed in the line of duty.” she gestured to her still bound arm.

“A more noble death a shirt could never have.”

A woman brought over four bowls of soup. She was blonde and smiled politely but she didn’t linger. The four of them ate quickly, Rachel didn’t know what was in it but it tasted fantastic. While they ate Rachel talked with Crow about the wasteland. The bodyguards kept their heads down in satisfying silence.

* * *

 

Eyes on the other side of the room watched the group of outsiders. The only one that even looked like they’d put up a fight was the burn victim and looks could only get you so far. The man Freddie had brought with him leaned back, focusing on the girl with a half empty whiskey bottle in his hand.

The red head was pretty, smiling at everyone. A girl that friendly would be easy to get alone. Slender and small with those tight clothes, she wouldn’t be able to fight him off. She was just his type. She could use a little more in the chest area but her toned body and tanned skin made up for that.

 _Overseer_ Amata stopped by the outsiders table and said something he couldn’t hear. The people nodded and the girl said something that made Amata laugh. The girl lifter her bowl and drained the rest of the watery soup that was served for dinner, then she followed the overseer out of the room with that burn victim right behind her.

He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and stood, following casually. He just needed to wait until the right moment presented itself.

* * *

 

“A shower?” Rachel asked, standing with Charon and Amata outside the woman’s bathroom.

“Yeah? Don’t they have showers outside?”

“Not that I’ve ever seen. I’ve only ever used bathtubs.” Rachel told the surprised woman.

“Well if you want I could show you how everything works.” the dark skinned Overseer offered. “It will give us a chance to talk.”

Rachel nodded. “Sure.”

Amata led the way into the bathroom and frowned when she saw Charon standing silently behind Rachel. He looked scary as all hell but the expression on his face was bored. Rachel shot her a questioning look and asked, “What?”

Amata blushed, gesturing in Charon’s general direction. “Um, well…this is the _girl’s_ _bathroom_. Men aren’t allowed in here.”

Charon blinked, of course vault conducted with pre-war social standards. He should have thought of that to begin with.

“Oh don’t worry.” Rachel said, waving her hand dismissively. “Charon won’t watch, he’s not a pervert.”

_I’m not dead either._

Charon blinked again at the sudden and unbidden thought. What the hell was wrong with him? Over the last few days he’d been dreaming of disobeying orders. Reacting to Rachel’s emotions, letting her touch him freely and now this? Not that he was considering peeping on his mistress. Was he?

 _I need a good night’s sleep._ He growled inside his own head. _Obviously_.

“That’s not exactly the problem…” Amata stammered, she’d never run into this kind of problem before and wasn’t sure how to explain it. Charon put a big hand on Rachel’s shoulder and when she looked up at him he nodded towards the door.

“I will stand guard outside. In Pre-war times men and women did not undressed around each other causally. If you need me you only have to call my name.” he explained and he left to Amata’s extreme relief. Rachel watched the door close and then turned back to her hostess.

“Weird.” she sighed and propped her fists on her hips. “Anyway, what do we do now?”

Rachel looked around the room they were in. There were lockers set against the wall with the door and an open area with nozzles sticking out of the opposite wall. The mirrors on the walls made the white tiled space look bigger than it was and there was a long bench in the middle of the room, effectively dividing the showers from the lockers.

Amata showed the Rachel the door that led to the shower room and explained what the soap dispensers on the wall were and which ones were which.

“You can put your clothes and…um… _gun_ … in a locker. Here,” She pulled a fluffy white towel out of a cabinet and handed it over. Rachel took, impressed by how soft it was, and put it down on the wooden bench in the middle in the room.

Amata unzipped her vault suit and undressed quickly, wrapping the towel around herself shyly with her back to her guest. Rachel wasn’t sure she liked not having Charon or Claws in the room with her but she remained herself that the big ghoul was only one moderately loud scream away if she were attacked here.

Amata looked at the still dressed woman and frowned. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing, I’m just not used to being naked without Charon’s gun in sight.” Rachel shook off her unease and unbuckled her armor. Amata watch in mild shock. Rachel stripped shamelessly. She slid off her armor padded jacket and pulled a pair of weather goggles off her head. Amata was surprised that she took her Pipboy off and then wondered where she’d gotten one in the first place.

The ripped and filthy shirt she was wearing was full of holes and caked with things Amata couldn’t easily identify.

Rachel stripped what was left of her shirt over her head and tossed it unceremoniously onto the floor along with a bra that was stained with something brown that looked an awful lot like dried blood.

She kicked off her boots and her armored leather pants clinked when they hit the tiled floor. The last thing was a pistol strapped to her thigh. When she was naked she looked up and cocked an eyebrow at the other girl. “What?”

Amata had to peel her eyes from the wastelanders body. Her pale skin was covered in grime and what she was sure was old blood. Rachel had a knotted scare half way between her hip and her knee that looked like it had been incredibly painful. She had a much fresher scar on her shoulder and a line of pink dots that ran down the right side of her body.

“That’s a lot of scars.” Amata told her, looking again and seeing the dark bruises and scrapes running over Rachel’s body.

“There are more under the dirt.” Rachel joked, not bothering to cover herself like Amata had. “Hazards of living in a dangerous world. Every one of my scares it a victory tale.”

“A victory?” Amata asked.

“Yeah, because I survived.” she told Amata, looking towards the shower heads. “So how do these work?”

Amata went to one of the knobs and turned it, prompting a spray of water to shoot from the nozzle above. She fiddled with the knobs and steam started to rise from the water. Amata gestured towards the water when she was satisfied and Rachel cautiously stuck her hand into the falling water, her eyes widening. “It’s hot?!”

“Is too hot?” Amata asked uncertainly but Rachel slid the rest of her body under the spray with delight spreading over her face.

“If you want a hot bath in the wasteland you have to boil water in a pot and sponge bathe. Filling a tub with it is too much of a pain in the ass.”

Rachel looked at the reddish brown water circling the drain at her feet as Amata adjusted her own spray, steam quickly filling the room.

Rachel pointed at her toes with a giggle, “look! That’s weeks’ worth of dirty just _leaving_!”

Amata laughed, sharing in her guest’s joy and she handed the excited woman a white wash cloth.

Rachel pumped liquid soap onto her cloth and scrubbed herself until her skin was pink. The endless hot water eased her sore muscles and filled her mind with a kind of bliss she’d never experienced.

With her hair full of something foamy that smelled fruity that Amata had called shampoo Rachel pointed to the holes on her torso. She noticed that Amata kept glancing at them. “These are bullet holes I got then a few days ago.”

“What!” She cried. “You got shot?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve been shot a ton of times.” Rachel told her. “Like I said the open wasteland is a dangerous place.”

“Aren’t there towns or somewhere safer for you to live?” Amata asked with wide eyes.

Rachel just waved off her concern, running the cloth over her skin for possibly the thousandth time. “I’ve never really been comfortable living in settlements. I get restless, I’ve never liked being around people for long amounts of time. There are towns I like going into to catch some sleep in a bed, maybe get patched up or have a stiff drink but I’ve never stayed anywhere for very long.” She smiled at the overseer. “A couple months ago I did end up getting a house not far from here and it’s nice to have a place to call mine but I haven’t stayed there very much yet.”

“Do you have parents?” She asked and then clapped her hand over her mouth, worried she might offend the other girl. “I’m sorry! That was rude.”

“I do,” Rachel answered easily. “My farther lives in a town called Novac, it’s a _very_ long walk from here. My mother died a few months ago and I guess I needed a change of scenery so I left. I’ve only been in the Capitol Wasteland a couple of months. Originally I’m from the New Vegas area.”

“New Vegas?” Amata asked, remembering a similarly named place from her geography classes. “Like Los Vegas? You walked across the country!?”

“Yep,”

Amata bit her lower lip and then pointed, fascinated by this new comer. “What’s that from?”

Rachel looked down at her thigh and sighed. “I pissed off something big and poisons called a Cazador. I was fifteen, stupid and careless. It almost killed me, it’s a war story I’m not proud of.”

“Oh, but it’s still a victory, right?” the overseer asked.

“It’s certainly is.” Rachel told her, rinsing the suds from her hair. Amata had shown her a razor earlier and she picked it up for inspection. Usually Rachel used her combat knife when she wanted to shave her legs but once she started Rachel wondered how she ever got by.

When Rachel was finally convinced she was clean her skin was waterlogged but she felt amazing. Amata laughed as the other girl marveled at her wet reflection.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this clean and not irradiated off the chart. Purified water is too precious in the wastes to bathe with so you never get all the dirt. Look! Even the blood under my fingernails is gone!” Rachel caught the towel Amata threw at her and she dried herself, amazed all over again when her skin was dry and the towel was still white.

“I don’t want to put my cloths back on.” Rachel admitted, standing naked next to her pile of dirty armor.

“You can wear a vault jumpsuit and give your clothes to laundry if you want too.”

“No offence intended but I’d rather be naked then wear a vault suit.” Rachel said in the politest tone she could manage. “I can ask Charon get me something from Crow if I don’t have anything in my bag.”

Rachel wrapped her towel around herself and finger combed her hair while Amata got dressed. She picked up her dirty clothes and slung her rifle over her shoulder, finally ready to leave the bliss of the shower room.

“You’re leaving in a towel?” Amata asked, Rachel had managed to shock her again.

“Yeah,” She said like Amata was saying something foolish, “I’m going back to my room.”

“What if a _guy_ sees you?” She asked and her tone was so scandalized that it surprised a bark of laughter from Rachel.

“So what? If they try anything unwelcome I’ll just shoot ‘em.”

“Please don’t shoot anyone. The last time that happened I had to make a good friend leave.” she said, her voice turning unhappy.

“Little miss 101?” Rachel guessed sympathetically.

Amata’s head shot up, “You know Anna? Is she alright? Where is she?”

Rachel took a step back and gave Amata an apologetic look. “I met her on road, we only spoke for a minute and we were headed in the opposite directions. She was walking towards New Vegas maybe…three months ago?”

“She left?” Amata asked miserably.

Rachel nodded. “From what I heard she had a lot of dark history here. Sometimes people need to distance themselves.”

“I guess I always thought she’d end back here in the end. I needed time to calm down the vault. A lot of people blamed her and her father for something that happened the night they left. People thought because the door was opened that’s how the radroaches got in but we know now that wasn’t true. She even came back after a while and saved us but people still needed time here.”

“She saved a lot of people out there too. The thing about heroes is that they can’t help themselves. If she was as badass as everyone says then I don’t think she’d ever settle back here.” Rachel told the other girl gently. “It seems like life out there agreed with her though and once you’re wastelander that never really leaves you. The thrill of a gunfight. The pride you get when you take down an angry super mutant. You know, the sun on your back and dust on your boots.”

Amata’s eyes were glassy but she nodded, at least trying to understand. Rachel sighed and put her hands on her hips while she waited for Amata to gather up her belongings.

“So what’s up with Gomez? He’s kind of a wuss here in the vault. All quiet and flinchy, did something happen?”

Amata shook her head, “No, he’s always been like that. Why?”

Rachel shrugged, “He was different outside. More confident or something, not nearly as much of a badass as _me_ but certainly more than now. Maybe he’s claustrophobic?”

Amata laughed and followed Rachel to the door. Charon was leaning against the wall with his arm crossed. He looked at her and growled, very pointedly locking his eyes on her face.

“Rachel where are your _pants_!” he demanded.

“They’re dirty. I was wondering if you could go ask Crow if he had any clean clothes?” she asked, unaffected by his surly attitude.

“Clean?” Charon asked, wondering if the girls had done jet along with washing… they’d certainly been in there long enough. “What the hell make you think he’ll have anything clean?”

“Well I’ve never been this clean and I want to stay this way as long as possible, Charon just do this for me real quick and then you can go shower too,”

“Rachel it is not tactically wise for me to disarm-“

“ _Charon_ I’ll watch your door, it will be good for you to relax.”

“Ray,” Charon scowled, trying to think for another argument.

“You’re doing this even if I have to order you,” She told him sternly. “You will get better faster and you deserve it.”

Charon glared at her. He would love a shower, but being naked in what he still considered dangerous territory wasn’t something he was going to get excited about. She was doing this to punish him. He could feel it.

“ _Fine_ , you’re the boss. But I’m not taking forty-five minutes like you did and I’m not leaving you alone until you’re locked in our room.”

“What!” Rachel glared, not liking the idea for being grounded. “I’m not the one in trouble!”

“You’re good at finding trouble.”

“Sure but I have a gun,” Rachel grinned at him but he fixed her with a hard glare. “Oh fine, I’ll lock the damn door. Happy?”

“Fucking ecstatic, let’s go.”

Rachel waved goodbye to a speechless Amata and walked the short distant back to their room. Charon listened outside until he heard her lock the door and he left in search of the  clothing merchant. Rachel sighed and dropped her dirty clothes on the floor along with her boots.

She was just finishing running a comb threw her damp hair when their was a knock on the door. Rachel hit the button saying, “That was fast,”

“What was?” asked a young man she didn’t recognize.

“Thought you were someone else, can I help you?”

The guy had to drag his eye back to her face, he didn’t seem to be bothered at all that she was dressed only in a towel. “I hope you can, where’s your pet zombie?”

Rachel scowled, “You know, insulting my friend isn’t the best way to get on my good side.”

“I think that you should worry about getting on my good side.” he told her in a quiet voice, stepping into the room and looking around. “Outsiders shouldn’t be allowed here. If it wasn’t for that bitch and her fucking dad none of this would have happened.”

Rachel slowly stepped back, her guns were on the bed and she had the sudden driving need to have one of them them in her hands. “I think you’ve been drinkin’ friend. Why don’t you turn around and leave me alone. Your vault isn’t going to survive closed. May you should put aside your personal vendettas.”

“You’re pretty but you shouldn’t have shown up here. You shouldn’t have helped the spaz. If he had died then everyone would have seen that my dad had been right!” he hissed and he pulled a 10mm out from inside of his vault suit.

“You don’t want to pick a fight with me little boy.” Rachel told him evenly, relieved when the back of her legs bumped into the bed. She gave him a smile and sat, crossing her legs at the knee. His eyes dropped to where the towel pulled away from her thigh and Rachel grabbed her pistol while he was distracted.

The guy gave a started and pointed his gun with a slightly shaky hand.

“Kid, what is trying to kill me going to do?”

“Wally, my name isn’t kid. Nobody will know it was me.” he told her a little too calmly. “People will assume your zombie did it and you outsiders would be kicked out. The vault will be sealed and everyone will know my dad should have taken over as overseer.”

“ _Oh_ ,” Rachel whispered and smiled at him sweetly. “ _I see_.”

“What?” he asked suspiciously.

Rachel rose to her feet, her gun aim at his head. “You’re here with a little liquid courage trying to avenge daddy? I bet when that girl, I think her name is _Anna_ , saved the vault she put a bullet in dear daddy’s brain.”

Rachel had a little bit of a mean streak when provoked and she got a glorious wave of satisfaction when the kid in front of her turned red with rage. He tossed his gun to the side and lunged for her. Rachel dodged easily and punched him in the gut.

Wally sucked in a painful breath and Rachel glared. He lunged again and caught her ankle with his foot. She tripped and her pistol clattered a crossed the floor. Wally yanked her back and pinned her down with her back to the cold floor.

Wally punched her and she snarled when his knuckles connected sharply with the right side of her face. Rachel jabbed two fingers into his jugular with the hand she managed to get free and he slapped her hard as he coughed. Wally pinned her hands down again with one of his and ripped the towel from her body, tossing it aside. The look her gave her was like a starving dog might looked at fresh meat.

“I was going to just shoot you but I think you deserve a reminder of who is superior.” he whispered.

Fury shot through her and Rachel slammed her forehead into his nose when he leaned in close. It gave her a headache when the bone crunched but she decided it was worth it. Wally swore and slapped her again. He ignored his nose, letting blood pour on her skin while he ripped the zipper of his jumpsuit down.

“You’re going to pay for that bitch!” he snarled, yanking her to her feet and forcing her down on the bed.

“Not likely.” she hissed and kicked him as hard as she could between his legs. Wally doubled over with a howl of pain. Rachel was on her feet as soon as her foot connected with his family jewels and she viciously brought her knee up to his forehead as he clutched his crotch.

Wally yelped again and went down, bleeding on the floor.

Rachel stood over him, shaking with the adrenaline pumping threw her veins. She heard heavy boots running towards them and she looked up just as Charon burst through the still open door. He took in the half dressed man on the floor, his naked employer, the blood covering her skin and dropped the newly purchased clothes on the floor.

“What the fuck happened?!” he roared, picking the whimpering man up and slamming him into the wall.

“Wally came to visit. He wasn’t very polite and when he wouldn’t leave I had to teach him some manners.” Rachel told her friend as she wiped away the blood with her towel and pulled on the clothes Charon had brought her. It was a simple merc grunt outfit and the shirt was a little tight but it was pretty clean for wastelander clothes.

“Charon will you please put him outside? I’m tired all of the sudden and don’t feel like entertaining.” She said, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

“We should turn him over to security.” Charon growled.

“Do that then. I just want him out of my sight. Ow,” she’d touched her throbbing temple.

“He gave you a black eye!” Charon snarled, furious that someone had dared tough her and that he hadn’t been there to prevent it. “Did he hurt you anywhere else?”

“No. none of this blood is even mine. I broke his nose.”

Charon chuckled darkly, proud of her and thinking of all the bones he wanted to break on the kid. Charon roughly grabbed a pressure point on his neck and guided Wally from the room, thinking about all the pain he could inflict without leaving a mark. He had a lot to choose from. his training officers had been very instructive on the subject.


	24. Chapter 24

  
“Try not to freak out.” Rachel said and Crow cocked an eyebrow at her.

  
“Whatever it is you wanted to show me can’t be that bad beautiful.” he laughed.

  
Rachel smiled. She seriously doubted he’d try to touch her without her permission and she didn’t mind the nickname as long as his calloused hands stayed to themselves. Crow was an attractive man and she certainly wasn’t against a casual roll in the hay with a stranger but at the moment she just wasn’t interested.

  
Or maybe she was if the dreams she’d had the night before were any indicator.

  
She’d woken up this morning with her head crammed full of steamy images of rough red hands on her skin and chapped lips skimming her throat.

  
Rachel had actually thought about asking the handsome merchant to take care of her bedroom frustrations a couple of hours ago. She’d even brushed her hair out and put on her favorite black tank top and torn jeans when they’d been returned from laundry.   
But a couple hours ago when Charon had commented offhand that her freshly cleaned cloths looked good her plans had disintegrated in nuclear fire.

  
She’d even felt a little guilty.

  
A simple, “You look good.” While the big ghoul calmly cleaned his shotgun and she’d felt guilty about asking Crow out for a drink.

What was wrong with her?

It wasn’t like Charon could take care of her sexual frustrations.

  
Not that she’d want him to.

  
Did she?

  
No, he was her employee. Her partner. Even without the contract complicating things she’d always had a rule about not sleeping with the people she worked with.

  
Rachel had never come up against a wall like this when it had come to men. She’d never had one that could compliment her appearance and ruin the target she’d set on another man’s back.

  
Hell it had even crossed her mind that her might be developing feelings but that thought had been banished quickly. She didn’t get romantic feelings. They complicated things.

  
“Beautiful?” Crow asked, breaking her from her thoughts as they exited the tunnel that held the vault door.

Outside the sun was still low in the sky and she realized it was only somewhere around seven in the morning.

  
Standing on the little hill looking over the wasteland Rachel lit a cigarette and offered one to her new friend politely.

Charonand Crow’s caravan guard had gone to test the showers. They’d figured safety in numbers, neither one of them thrilled about being in a vault full of strangers. Rachel had promised her ghoul that she’d stay out of trouble so as soon as he left she’d gone to find Crow.

“I have a kind of pet.” she began, choosing her words carefully. “And with Charon and I running around the wastes I was thinking Claws needs some armor. I’d like to ask you if you’d lend your expertise. He’s still very young so I’d be coming back to you for size adjustments.”

  
Crow exhaled smoke with a good natured smile. “Of course, I think I’d be able to help. I’ll need to take measurements of course, is it a dog?”

  
“He acts like one sometimes.” she told him, “Remember, don’t draw your weapon. I like Claws a lot more then I like most people and I’d hate to have to shoot you.”

  
Crow laughed and nodded.

  
Poor bastard had no idea what he was agreeing too.

  
Rachel put her fingers to her lips and whistled sharply. She decided teaching him to respond to whistles was a little safer then screaming his name in the middle of the wasteland.

  
Movement on the other side of a boulder a little ways away caught both of their attentions and Rachel smiled as Claws yawned and stretched. He shook his head and trotted towards them, gleeful that his mother had returned.

  
Crow had his hand on his gun, looking at the deathclaw with wide eyes. Claws looked at the new person with mistrust and skirted around him, trying to sniff his boots from a distance.

  
“That is a deathclaw.” Crow said, looking at the smiling woman.

  
“Yes. Yes he is.” she chuckled. “You know, you’re taking this a lot better than Charon did and Claw was half this size then.”

  
“I- um…wait, you’re Angel?”

  
This time she laughed out loud. “Been listenin’ to Three Dog yap about me?”

  
“You disarmed the bomb in Megaton?”

  
She nodded, surprised the D.J knew about that.

  
“And you have a pet deathclaw, right there!”

  
“I do, and my deathclaw is in need of armor. I want him to be even harder to kill then a regular deathclaw.” Rachel told the man while she patted a thigh with her hand. Claws gave up trying to sniff Crow and obediently came to her side. “Are you up to the challenge?”

  
Crow watched the red head affectionately scratch the top of the young deathclaw’s head and harrumphed. “And you have that big ass ghoul following you around. What’s next? A Super mutant?”

  
Rachel laughed again, “Maybe. I do seem have a knack for collecting large and deadly beings.”

  
Crow took a good long look at Claws and then blew out a long breath. “Alright Angel. Just because you’re pretty. It’s going to cost you though.”

  
“I know it will but he’s worth it.” Rachel nodded towards Claws. “Why don’t you do your measuring and we can talk about a price.”

* * *

 

  
The shower had been pleasant enough but the ghoul couldn’t shake the feeling that Rachel was going to end up in some kind of dire predicament if he wasn’t there to protect her.

Last night had proved that it didn’t take long for trouble to find his young employer.

  
Rachel had kicked the stupid kid’s ass but she’d been injured in the process. However minor her new bruises were had he been there he could have prevented them. While he’d been dragging the boy to the security office Charon hadn’t been able to stop himself from giving the kid a swift punch in the gut. It was far less than the kid deserved as far as he was concerned.

  
He had been livid at the sight of his smoothskin naked and covered in blood. It had done things to him that he couldn’t quite explain. His blood had boiled in his veins and he’d wanted nothing more than to reduce her attacker to a bloodstain on the floor. It had taken every ounce of self-control not too.

  
He’d never had a reaction like that to an employer being injured. In truth he’d always been inwardly smug. He'd always privately thought that if they had just stayed closer or hadn’t been stupid that those injuries wouldn’t have happened. He always felt that it was a small bit of karma paying them back for the shit they’d done.

  
He hadn’t felt smug about the blood on Rachel’s flesh.

  
Charon sighed and dressed quickly.  
He nodded to the caravan guard as he left the bathroom. The guard, whose name turned out to be Dan, had showered first while Charon stood guard. The man nodded back and they went their separate ways with needing to communicate further.

  
Charon decided he liked Dan. The man understood that chatter wasn’t necessary and it had been easy for them to come to a silent agreement.

  
It took Charon exactly three seconds when he entered their room to realize Rachel wasn’t in it. Despite his best efforts a bubble of panic started to form in his chest and he turned on his heel, leaving again to look for her.

  
A frightened looking blond girl said she saw Rachel heading towards the front door with the other outsider.

  
Of course she was _outside_!

It was probably the most dangerous place she could find in the thirty minutes she’d been out of his sight.

  
Charon jogged to the cog shaped airlock. It was open and he rushed through, not even bothering to acknowledge the startled vault guards posted there. The tunnel was still dark but he could see a few dusty sunbeams filtering through the cracks of the wooden door.

  
The ghoul was maybe six feet from the battered door when he heard the unmistakable sound of Rachel giggling. Her bright giggles made him stop and listen… _for tactical reasons._

  
“How did you manage to gain a beast like him, beautiful?” Crow asked, the nickname made Charon grind his teeth for reasons he wasn’t ready to examine.

  
“He’s not a beast, he’s very nice. He’s always been right at my side.” Rachel chided, Charon could hear the smile in her voice.“Right Claws?”

  
_Claws_. They were talking about the deathclaw.

  
Charon sighed, a very small unreasonable part of him was disappointed that she wasn’t defending her association with him. He’d always been there for her too. At least he tried to be. She seemed to be incredibly good at getting into trouble when his back was turned or he’d been ordered to stay back.

  
“Where are you headed next? I would be happy to escort you,” Crow offered with an edge to his voice that made Charon think about how many ways he could kill the man with his bare hands. He scowled, disgusted with himself. He was acting like a jealous boyfriend and it felt gross on his skin.

  
“I don’t know, probably a quick stop in Megaton and then off to explore the waste a little more. We need to make some caps so I can pay you.”

  
Pay him? For what?

Charon realized that he was eavesdropping and straightened, ashamed. Rachel didn’t belong to him and she could talk to whoever she wanted. His jealously wouldn’t matter to her at all.

  
The ghoul blinked and nodded to himself. Jealously was what he was feeling and that was disconcerting. Feelings towards the girl would only complicate their association. He wasn’t sure how to fight it off though.

  
Of course he couldn’t distance himself from her, she had his contract so even if he did want to leave he was shit out of luck. He didn’t want to leave her though. He liked the enthusiastic girl. She made his life interesting.

  
He accepted that he was a ghoul so even if he did entertain the possiblity that he might be having feelings toward her she’d just feel uncomfortable. There was no way she would want him in a romantic nature, what smoothskin would? He’d seen ghouls drool over humans that they’d never have and he’d silently mocked them for being stupid.

  
Charon shook his head. He shouldn’t have been so judgmental.

  
Charon sighed quietly and opened the door, blinking in the sunlight.

  
“Charon! Cigarette?” Rachel smiled at him in a way that he wished she wouldn’t.

  
It was like she was happy to see him. He pushed away the thoughts he’d been struggling with behind the door and glared at her.

  
He shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. “You said you were going to stay in the room.”

  
“I did not.” Rachel grinned. “I said I’d stay out of trouble and out of trouble I have stayed. Besides, I want him to make armor for Claws and he had to take measurements.”

  
“Any sign of Talon Company?”

  
“Not a peep,” She smiled and offered him a freshly lit cigarette anyway. Charon flicked his foggy blue eyes to hers and accepted it silently. Looking at her in the early morning light he decided being in her service wasn’t something he was going to lament. While he’d never felt anything towards an employer, or anyone else of that matter, he was sure he could keep those troublesome feelings at bay.

  
Rachel was his employer and he would protect her. But he would do so because he wanted to.

  
Next to them Crow clapped his hands together and put his worn measuring cord back in his pocket.

  
“I think I have everything I need, when it’s complete I’ll leave word in Megaton.” he told her lightly, sending a polite nod Charon’s way before going back inside.

  
“He’s so nice.” Rachel murmured when he was gone. Charon didn’t say anything but he did take an extra long drag, blowing the smoke from the nasal holes.

  
“Charon I think we should leave today.” Rachel told him, looking off in the distance.

  
“Where would you like to go?”

  
“Crow told me about a town that’s in a ship. I’d like to see that I think. Do you know where it is?”

  
“If we leave soon we can make it to Rivet City by nightfall. We wouldn’t even need to resupply beyond what we’ve already gotten before heading out.” He told her, thinking the faster they were away from the merchant the better.

  
“Alright, I’d like to take another shower and then we can go.” she told him, turning towards the door.

  
Charon almost smiled at her back. “As you wish.”

 

* * *

 

Charon had their packs ready and Rachel’s armor and weapons laid out when she came through the door wearing the jeans and tank top she’d been wearing all day. The vault laundry service had worked wonders on her cloths.

  
“Charon, I want a shower like the ones here at home.”

  
He chuckled, “I’m sure you’re going to have a fun time trying to get Walter to fix your house up with plumbing and hot water.”

  
“Our house.” she corrected absently, “I wonder if I can at least get an air gun thing for my hair. I just used one and they are amazing.”

  
“They are called blow dryers, I believe.” he told her, shouldering his shotgun.

  
“How do you know?” she asked curiously, switching out her jeans for her armored leather pants. “Will you toss me the duct tape?”

  
“Here,” he tossed her the silver grey roll that she always kept in a convenient side pocket on her bag. “I had two younger sisters before the war.”

  
Rachel head snapped up like a deathclaw catching the scent of fresh blood. Charon had frozen in place, his patchy hands half way through fastening his armor. He hadn’t thought of his sisters much over the last two hundred years and he’d _never_ mentioned them.

  
“You had sisters?”

  
“I did.” he told her roughly, cursing himself. Affections or not he was getting way to comfortable with this woman. “A long time ago.”

  
Rachel got the hint and dropped her eyes, patching another hole in her pants with the sliver tape. “Oh, yeah of course. I shouldn’t have asked, I’m sorry.”

  
“It’s alright smoothskin,” he told her. “I’ll tell you about them sometime.”

  
“Okay,” Rachel said softly, fight back her curiosity for now.

  
There was a knock on the door, breaking the awkward silence and Rachel immediately went to answer it. Freddie was on the other side and his face fell when he saw them in armor.

  
“You’re leaving already?”

  
“You know how it is Gomez.” Rachel told him happily, letting him into the room. “Places to go, raiders to kill.”

  
Charon snorted, glad she’d been distracted. Rachel grinned at his back before putting her hands on her hips and looking Gomez over.

“Haven’t gone back to the vault suit I see.”

  
Gomez blushed and looked at his feet, suddenly self-conscious. “n-no, I like pants a lot better than the jumpsuits. I guess I decided I was going to wear them until someone asked me not too.”

  
Charon snorted, finally turning to look at him. “You’re never gonna get that girl acting like a pussy.”

  
“Charon!” Rachel scolded, but he waved her off.

  
“Kid, if you want that girl find the backbone you had in the wastes and kiss her like a man.” the ghoul commanded. “Kiss her and walk away. If she liked it she’ll come find you.”

  
Gomez took a deep breath and straightened, nodding.

  
Rachel shook her head, “If he does that he’ll probably spook her and be arrested in here. Women today don’t want to just be grabbed and man handled.” she argued.

  
Charon growled and grabbed Rachel’s wrist. He sprung her around as she gasped as he shoved her against the wall, pinning her there his body. He had her hands pinned on either side of her head with his mouth only an inch hers.

  
Rachel looked up at him with wide eyes and she had to bite her tongue to keep from groaning when he shift and his armored his knee moved between her legs.

  
An involuntary shiver ran up her spine when his warm breath tickled the skin below her ear. Charon realized what he was doing and let go of her instantly. He crossed her arms over his chest, suddenly incredibly glad for the heavy leather that hid his erection.

  
Instead of meeting Rachel’s eyes he looked at Freddie. “Do it just like that and you’ll be fine.”

  
Freddie looked at Rachel who was still leaning against the wall in something like shock. She saw the boy looking at her and she nodded. “Yeah, that should be just fine.” _it’s not going to do anything to get rid of my wet dreams though._

  
At least steamy sexy time with her stoic ghoul companion was better than executing loved ones every night. You could only mercy kill your mother so many times before you snapped. She still woke up frustrated and ill rested but in a different way at least.

  
Gomez nodded and he left after a quick good bye, see ya next time.

  
Rachel ran a hand through her short hair and let out a long breath. Charon shoulders his pack and busied himself with his already immaculate shotgun, avoiding her eyes. It didn’t matter because she was avoiding his too.

  
For one brief second the girl considered going to take another colder shower but there was no way she could do it without letting on how much Charon was starting to affect her. Instead she lifted her own bag and silently led the way out the door. Rachel had been intending to just leave but Amata was in the vault door control room and she frowned when she saw them.

  
The dark girl stepped forward with her hands clasped and it took her a second to meet Rachel’s eyes.

  
“I- I want to apologize. I had no idea Wally was still so bitter towards outsiders, had I known I would have asked security to keep a closer eye on him. Did he- hurt you?” She asked worriedly.

  
Rachel just shook her head, she’d used a stimpak on her eye while Charon had been dealing with the boy and that had taken care of the other little bruise she’d received.

  
“Not nearly as bad as I hurt him. He had better not underestimate me again.” she warned the overseer, “I do plan on dropping in every now and then and if he tries to force himself on me again I’ll kill him. The only reason he’s alive is because I promised you I wouldn’t shoot anyone while we were here.”

  
Amata saw the very real warning in the girl brilliant golden eyes and she nodded, swallowing to loosen her suddenly tight throat. “I understand. You don’t have to leave though. He will be in lockup all week if that’s what is causing your sudden departure.”

  
Charon snorted and Rachel laughed at the absurdness of it. “Not at all, it’s just time to move on. Your doctor did a wonderful job and we both healed much faster than expected. We’re just the kind of people that don’t stay put for long without a reason.”

  
“Of course,” Amata smiled politely and walked them to the end of the tunnel. She herself had never been outside but she didn’t want that change to be today, she had things to do. So when they reached the battered wooden door she said goodbye and left them. The light from the door lit up the tunnel and then their wasteland guests were gone.

She’d miss them. They had made life in the vault much more exciting in the couple days they’d been there.

* * *

 

  
“Charon is that it?” Rachel asked, pointing to the giant aircraft carrier as they rounded a building.

  
“Yes,”

  
“It so –“

  
“Talon Company!” a male voice shouted making Rachel jump. Charon already had his shotgun aimed. “You, girl! What’s your name?”

  
“Gretchen, who’s askin’?”

  
The man in black armor shook his head and looked from Rachel to Charon. He didn’t seem to notice Claws sniffing around the rubble off to the left.

  
“I think you’re lying,” He said and they opened fire.

  
Both Charon and Rachel dove for cover and Rachel yelled angrily, “If you weren’t going to believe me why did you fuckin’ ask?!”

  
The men just laughed making the girl swear more.

  
Charon fired two shots from the rock outcropping where he was and looked over at her. “Gretchen?”

  
“Oh fuck off!” She fired over the hood of an old car. Thankfully she noticed that the engine was gone so this one shouldn’t explode. “It was the first thing that popped into my head.”

  
Charon and Rachel made short work of the two closest men and Claws finished off the third. Rachel found another contract to capture her along with some psycho on the leader and Charon found thirty caps on another.

  
“So we’ve run into two of these groups…this is going to get to be a pain in the ass I can already tell.” she growled, picking up a second combat shot gun to fix the one she’d found the other day.

  
“Talon Company has never seemed to have a shortage of assholes.” Charon agreed as they left the dead men where they’d fallen.

  
“Great, you think there’s any way to find out who hired them?” She asked and Charon shrugged.

  
“We can worry about that later.We need to resupply before we go hunting.”

  
Together they approached the ship after Rachel sent Claws off to hide. There was a caravan just leaving with a Brahmin loaded with yellow barrels. Rachel assumed this was the Aqua Pura she’d heard about.

  
They pasted a woman in combat armor looking over paper work at a desk and headed up iron stairs. At the top of the stairs was a platform and on the other side of open air there was the door to the ship.

  
After handing off a bottle of purified water to a beggar Rachel hit the intercom button and a male voice came through the speaker.

“State your business in Rivet City.”

  
“We’re travelers looking to resupply and rest.”

  
“We?” the voice asked professionally.

  
“Yes, there are two of us. Myself and my partner.” Rachel told the intercom.

  
“Thank You, Please stand back while we lower the bridge.” and the intercom clicked off.

  
The sound of straining metal and machinery filled the air and the bridge was slowly swung into place. Rachel glanced up at Charon and he cocked what was left of an eyebrow.

  
“What?”

  
“You didn’t tell them I was a ghoul.”

  
“Nope, I didn’t think it was important.” She said but a smirk curled her lips and he chuckled.

  
“If they shoot at us?” he asked, amused.

  
“Then of course we will be shooting back, besides, you’re a giant and the reactions people have to you are never disappointing.”

She grinned as they stepped onto the bridge.

  
“So you set people up on purpose? For your amusement?” Charon was gaining a whole new respect for his little smoothskin. He also enjoyed the way people caught a glimpse of him and their eyes widened. He enjoyed the flashes of awe and fear but he hadn’t known Rachel allowed him that pleasure on purpose.

  
“Yes, for _our_ amusement.” She told him quietly before turning her attention forward.  
She smiled sweetly at the guards as they approached. It was a smile Charon now recognized as one she used to dare people to challenge her. It was acompanined by that trademark spark of mischief.

  
She had a similar one she used on flirtatious men to get her own way. She never directed one of those at him. Instead the smile he got was always affectionate. That curve of her lips was filled with acceptance and trust.

He’d never been looked at like that before but he did enjoy it from her.

  
Behind their helmet visors Charon saw the widening of eyes and the two guards shifted uncomfortably. He kept his face stoic but inwardly he allowed himself a smug feeling of satisfaction.

  
“H-halt.” a woman said, stepping forward.

“You didn’t say you were with a ghoul.”

  
Rachel allowed her smile to become confused. “I didn’t know it was something important. I didn’t see a sign posted that ghouls weren’t allowed, did I miss one?” she asked, ringing her had worriedly. Charon saw the gleeful spark in her eyes when he looked down at her and had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.

  
The guards exchanged looks and the woman shook her head. “No it’s not a rule exactly, it- he’s not feral is he?”

  
Rachel shook her head, babbling like the silly little thing she was pretending to be. “What? Oh no, no. at least…I don’t think so.” Rachel looked up at Charon with big childlike eyes.

“You aren’t feral are you Charon?”

  
“Not today mistress,” he answered evenly and the guards exchanged another wide eyed look.

  
“Well, just keep him out of trouble miss. Have a nice stay in Rivet City.”

  
Rachel clasped her hands in front of her sweetly. “Thank you, we will. Have a wonderful day!”

  
The guard finished by telling her that the market was closed for the night and directed her to take the door to her left.

  
They closed the door firmly behind them and Rachel started to giggle. She looked up at him with that trusting smiled and slapped him on the forearm with the back of her hand. “I’m glad you’re not feral today!” she gasped, dissolving back into giggles.

  
Charon chuckled, delighted that he’d inspired her to laugh like that. “I thought it would please you if I left it open, since fucking with them was making you so happy.”

  
Rachel gasped again and got herself under control. “I’m glad you enjoyed the show.”

  
She looked at the signs on the wall and glanced both up and down the stairs. She chuckled again and studied the signs. “So what do you want to do first tall, dark and ghoulish? Go get a room at that hotel or head down to the Muddy Rudder? I assume that’s a bar.” She asked him.

  
Charon smirked at the long nick name she used for him and glanced at the signs. “I would like to secure a room first. So when you’re cocked later I know where I’m carrying you.”

  
Rachel nodded, heading up the first set of stairs. “You don’t know I’m going to get drunk tonight.”

  
“Yes I do.” he chuckled. “You’ve had a long week and now have access to an active bar that’s going to have other drunken people in it. You’re going to want to have some fun. If history serves I’m going to end up carrying you over my shoulder sometime after midnight.”

  
Rachel laughed but she didn’t argue. He was right. “What did I do before you were around to carry me?”

  
“Probably curled in a ball in a corner somewhere, unless you tricked some poor bastard into sharing his bed.” he was teased her.

  
Rachel laughed giving the ghoul another wave of satisfaction for enticing that sound out of her.

  
“Hey,” she grinned at him with mock indignation, “If he was sharing his bed he fuckin’ wanted too. I’m a fantastic lay even if it has been good long while.”

  
“Are you sure you still know what you’re doing?” he asked before he could stop himself.

  
Rachel’s grin turned cocky, “It’s like shootin’ a rifle, you never really forget.”

  
Charon gave a single bark of laughter as they approached the desk and forced down the urge to ask exactly how long it had been for her. They were too close to the women at the desk to not be heard and he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to start talking to his smoothskin about sex.

  
The pretty blonde woman looked up from her soft conversation with a dark haired woman as they approach. Her eyes widened but she smiled politely. “Hello, I’m Vera Weatherly. How can I help you?”

  
“We need a room.” Rachel told her, her voice still laced with the amusement form their conversation as she pulled the cloth bag she kept her rolls of caps in.

  
Vera’s eye widened more and she looked between the pretty wastelander and the ghoul. “Just one room?”

  
Charon forced down the urge to growl. The scandal in the woman’s tone popping the happy bubble he and Rachel had been in.   
Rachel cocked an eyebrow at her. “Unless you’re willing to give a second one for free, or maybe on credit. We won’t be able to sell off our salvage until the Market opens tomorrow.”

  
Vera shook her head, “Oh no, I just wanted to make sure I understood.” the gossiping women looked at each other and Rachel bit her tongue to keep from saying something bitchy. She’d learned over the years that you should never be a bitch to anyone until after you’d paid them. You didn’t want prices to go up.

  
Vera wrote in her log book and placed a key on the counter, “It’s one hundred and twenty caps for the room and check out is at two tomorrow afternoon. It’s the first door on the right.”

  
Rachel counted out the caps and took the key with a thank you. She led the way to their room and closed the door again quickly behind them.

  
“Well, the whole ship’s going to know our sleeping arrangements by morning.” Rachel laughed but it was without the humor from a few minutes ago.

  
“Does it bother you?” Charon asked seriously as he dropped his pack on the steel floor. “I will be happy to stand guard outside the room for the night.”

  
“What?” she turned and dropped her own pack on the bed. “Absolutely not. You don’t need to stand outside all night for their sake.”

  
Charon frowned. He didn’t want to tarnish her reputation among the humans here anymore than he did by simply being at her side.

  
“Are you sure Rachel? Humans in the Capitol Wasteland don’t respond to humans and ghouls interacting well, it will cause problems for you if they think we are sleeping together.”

  
Rachel waved him off. “It’s not exactly different in the Mojave. They would think we’re fucking even if we did get two rooms. I don’t care what they think and if anyone starts shit then I will very politely tell them to fuck off.”

  
Charon nodded although he wasn’t sure he agreed. “As you wish.”


	25. Chapter 25

  
Rachel could feel eyes on her, Charon was leaning against the far wall of the bar with a cigarette in his mouth. He was watching her too but she was used to his gaze. Rachel took another swig from her half empty whisky bottle and lazily scanned the room from her stool at the bar.

  
The Muddy Rudder was packed and most everyone seemed to be having a good time. She was too, listening to everyone and laughing along with the strangers around her. Rachel shifted her eyes up and spotted a young man through the smoke in the air watching her from the balcony.

  
When their eyes met he flashed a smile, Rachel took a drag and blew a smoke ring in his direction, giggling. He chuckled and crooked his finger, motioning her to come up to where he was.

  
She nodded and stood, looking in Charon’s direction. When she caught his eye she motioned that she was going up stairs and he nodded. Rachel slid around a few people and bounced up the stairs, she definitely had a good buzz going.

  
The man was waiting for her at the top of the stair and he flashed another white smile. Rachel’s eyes flicked over him. He had weird hair, she decided. He also had really nice teeth and a black leather jacket on over a blue vault suit.

  
“Hey!” she grinned, raising her voice so he could hear her over the ruckus of people, “We just came from that vault!” she giggle some more and took his hand, leading him to a table near the edge of the balcony so Charon would be able to see her. She didn’t want him to freak out and think she’d been kidnapped.

  
“You’ve been in vault 101?” he asked, surprised.

  
Rachel took another drag of her cigarette and nodded happily. “Yep, I was. We was! Me and Charon.”

  
Okay, maybe she was a little more than buzzed at this point. She wasn’t wasteland wasted yet but she did feel pretty damn good.

  
“How’d you get in? I thought the door was going to stay sealed.”

  
Rachel swallowed the whiskey on her tongue and shook her head. “Not anymore. We spent the night there.” Before the man in front of her could comment she scowled. “Some vault asshole lookin’ for revenge against the whole outside world tried to fuckin’ fuck me against my will in there. _Wally_ …that…that was his name I think. Don’t worry. I kicked his ass, every…everybody else there was super nice.”

  
“Wally really did that? Well he’s always been an asshole, my names Butch.” he grinned and she laughed.

  
“That’s a weird name,” Rachel’s grinned lit up her eyes. “It matches you’re hair!”

  
Butch chuckled, not sure what she meant. “You’re kinda drunk ain’t ya’baby doll?”

  
“A lil’ bit, but you’re wrong, ‘bout my name.” she told him, hands gesturing animatedly as she talked. “My name’s Rachel!”

  
“You’re all kinds of dynamite, doll. You must be stayin’ here in Rivet City tonight?” he asked and Rachel nodded, sipping her whiskey. When she didn’t answer Butch pressed, “Where?”

  
“The Weather place… _Weatherly Hotel._ We got us a room there a’fore we came down here.”

  
Rachel picked up two shot glasses that were on the table and inspected them. They looked about as clean as anything else in the wasteland so she pour two shots from her bottle and pushed one towards Butch.

  
He took it asking, “Who’s we beautiful?”

  
“We is me and Charon.” She told him, happily playing with her shot glass.

  
“Who’s she? Your sister?” he asked hopefully as he stole a glance at the red heads cleavage peeking out of her black tank top. If this Sharon looked half as good as Rachel he might have the opportunity to swing a really good night.

  
“Nooooo, Charon’s not a sister. Charon’s…he’s my buddy! He’s grouchy sometimes but a good guy.” she slurred with a grin, scanning the crowd below them. When she spotted the large ghoul she jumped to her feet and pointed, leaning dangerously far over the rickety railing. “That’s him!”

  
Charon tensed when he saw his employer leaning so far over the railing and he motioned for her to get back, she did. And he relaxed a little. She was having a good time and he estimated another hour or so before she’d be open to leaving.

  
That was fine. Being in the bar wasn’t terrible and these drunks where much more lively than the ones in the Ninth had been.

  
Rachel settled back into her seat and saw the look of disgust that flashed over her drinking buddies face.

  
“You don’t mean the maggot farm do you?” he sneered and looked at her in time to see her face turn from happy drunk to pissed the fuck off.

  
“Yes! I mean the _Ghoul_. Don’t go judgin’ them, most ghouls are a lot more decent then most humans out there!” she pulled his empty shot glass back to her side of the table. “And bigots don’t get free drinks from me!”

  
Charon watched his employer talk to the vault kid on the upper level. Apparently he’d said something she didn’t like because her face got angry and the guy put his hands up in a sign of surrender. He said a couple of things to her and she settled down.

  
Good, he didn’t want to have to kick anyone’s ass tonight and risk having to deal with a drunken Rachel while in the middle of the D.C ruins. He gave that more thought and shuddered. Rachel pissed off for getting kicked off the ship would be bad. Drunk off her ass and armed with a shotgun and a deathclaw would be oh so much worse.

  
He saw Rachel turn her head and smile at him while she talked at the kid. It must have been a compliment because the man wrinkled his nose while she wasn’t looking.

Prick.

  
Rachel turned back to Butch with a smile.

“How long since you were in the vault?”

  
“I don’t know, a year?”

  
“And you’re still wearin’ your vaults suit?” She asked, she couldn’t feel her face anymore and she loved it. “Dun you have trouble wit that out im the waste?”

  
“Nah, I live here. I’m a barber see.”

  
Rachel laughed and drained her bottle.

  
Butch watched her throat move and cleared his own. “So, how’d someone as pretty as you end up traveling with a ghoul?”

  
“He’s got a _big gun,_ ” Rachel told him, waggling her eyebrow suggestively and she laughed when the kid choked on his beer. “I mean really, Charon’s got a beautiful custom combat shotgun. There ain’t nothin’ he and I can’t kill!”

  
Butch and Rachel chatted a few more minutes and he told Rachel to wait. He quickly retrieved two more bottles of beer from the bar, working out in his head how he was going to convince the red head to join him in his room for a little night cap. When he came back Rachel was leaning over the edge of the railing again while she looked at her Pipboy.

  
Butch opened the bottles and leaned next to her, cocking his eyebrow when she talked into the device on her arm.

  
“I’m not gonna to falllllll… mother hen.”

  
Butch was going to ask what she was talking about when the speaker on the Pipboy crackled and a rough voice growled, “I mean it smoothskin. Stop leaning over the railing and sit your ass down.”

  
Butch followed her gaze and realized it was the ghoul. He was talking into something strapped to his wrist in time with the voice in the speaker. His Pipboy didn’t do that, what the fuck?

  
“Fine!” Rachel pulled the chair around with her foot and plopped her ass down. “Happy?”

  
“Marginally. Let me know when you want to leave.”

  
Rachel giggled, “Ten-four good buddy!” Butch saw the ghoul roll his eyes and snickered as he handed her the reasonably cold beer.

  
“Here,” he said, sliding his eyes over her and Rachel grinned.

  
“Why thank you good sir.” She toasted him. “Cheers!”

Charon kept an eye on her while she talked and drank with the vault kid. How she kept bumping into these idiots was a mystery but at least this one wasn’t asking to travel with them…yet.

  
Rachel stayed seated for maybe twenty minutes but when Mighty Mighty Man started playing she jumped up and hauled the man to his feet. Charon felt another stab of jealousy as she made the kid dance with her but he pushed it away. It would take a direct order for him to dance and he wouldn’t be happy about it.

  
He could tell from the way her lips moved that she was singing along with the songs she liked, which was most of them. Rachel loved music. Fortunately her taste was similar to his although he’d never tell her he enjoyed those lazy afternoons in Megaton when she turned up the radio and danced around the house.

  
She made the kid get up and dance with her whenever something fast came on over the speakers, she didn’t dance to anything slow and that was a small relief. It meant she didn’t want to cuddle up to Mr.101, she just wanted someone to jump around with her.  
Once, while Mr. 101 was getting them another bottle, Rachel tried to get him to come up.

  
“Not a chance smoothskin,” he told her viva communicator.

  
“Please, you don’t have to dance with me, just hang out!” she tried to coax but Charon knew better.

  
“No, you’re trying to trick me.”

  
“ _Charon_!” she wined.

  
“Look behind you, kids back with drinks.” he told her.

  
Rachel turned and grinned as the boy offered her a full bottle. Charon sighed, she’d been successfully distracted and with the kid buying her drinks she wasn’t spending any of her own caps.

  
Charon waited until the bar started to empty out, by his guess it was around three in the morning and Rachel was very close to done. Honestly she’d lasted longer than he’d expected but Mr. 101 had gotten them a plate of crispy squirrel bits so the food had likely helped.

  
Charon glanced up and found his drunken employer easily. Butcher Pete was on and Rachel was dancing with her knew friend.  
Rachel stumbled and the guy caught her. She laughed, fingers clinging to his arms for balance. He laughed with her as his eyes traveled over her body. Charon saw the kids hand travel down her waist and rest low on her hip.

  
The ghoul gritted his teeth and stood slowly, heading for the stairs. It was definitely because Rachel needed her rest and not because he wanted the sleazy vault prick to get his hands off of her.

  
He heard Rachel’s laughter when he was half way up the stairs and the kid voice talking to her, “So beautiful, wanna take this party back to my place?”

  
“Sure,” she was slurring enough that the ghoul knew she wasn’t thinking very clearly and Charon didn’t like the way the guy had pulled her close.

“But only if Charon can come too, h- he likes to know where I am.” She added much to Butch’s displeasure.

Charon inwardly smirked, pleased that even in her drunken state of mind she was thinking about him. He crossed his arms over his chest when he hit the upper floor and cleared his throat.

  
The kid glared over the top of her head but Rachel grinned when she saw him, her eyes lighting up. “Chaaron! Butch wants us to go to a party, do ya wanna come?”

  
“I think he doesn’t want me there.” the ghoul rasped, glaring back at the kid with just as much distaste. Butch wrapped an arm around her waist and Charon growled under his breath.

  
Rachel shook her head. “That’s, that’s not true. _Right_?”

  
“I _was_ kinda thinkin’ it _would_ be just you and me doll.” he admitted and she frowned.

  
“Oh yeah, you don’t like ghouls. Well I am sorry sir but I dun…I dun party without Charon.” She tried to pull away but Butch tightened his grip.

  
“Come on, don’t be like that baby doll.” He purred but Rachel shook her head. He didn’t give up though.

  
He’d been with her for hours and he’d thought she’d be a sure thing after they’d started dancing. “I’ve been hangin’ out with you all night. Buying you drinks and dancin’ with you. Come back to my place party with the Butch man.”

  
“Sorry, ba’ I told you. I only party whit _Charon_.” She insisted.

  
The ghoul smirked and Butch scowled.

“What? Don’t you want a guy that can get it up? Come on and I’ll show you what being with a _real man_ is like.”

  
Understanding dawned on her and Rachel scoffed. “I can’t fuck you today…your hair is too weird.”

  
She said it in an incredibly serious tone and Charon snorted. Butch blinked at her and she twisted out of his grip while he was distracted. Rachel tripped over her feet but this time it was Charon who caught her. The big ghoul scooped her up in his arms and she laughed.

  
“Charon, ur…ur just like a...a mountain with words,” Rachel laughed harder and Charon nodded. “My hero in dusty leather!”

  
“I know,” he told her, hitching her up higher. “Thanks’ smoothskin.”

  
Rachel nodded, settling her arms around his neck as the world around he started to spin. “You are indeed quite welcome my good man.”

  
“Hey!” Butch scowled but Charon took a threatening step forward.

  
“The lady said no.” he growled.

  
“Yeah, fuck off. I don’t party with bigots.” she was still giggling under her breath but Charon stared the kid down until he put his hands up in defeat, cursing.

  
Charon sent a last glare in his direction before he carried Rachel out of the bar. She told him she could walk but he knew that it would take them over an hour to get to their room if he set her down.

  
“I’m sorry,” Rachel told him as she yawned.   
“For what smoothskin?” he asked, glaring at a couple of people when they started to whisper as he walked by with the girl in his arms.

  
“That guy was fun to drink with but he was a ass to you.” she stretched in his arms and settled in against his barrel chest. “Next time we will hang out someplace where you can have fun too. Maybe tomorrow we can go to Underworld. I’m sure Willow would love to cuddle up to you.” Rachel told him, resting her head on his shoulder. “She asked me to let you off your leash you know. I was gonna anyway but it was nice she was concerned about you. You’re real good at your job but you got to have fun to, you deserve to get laid and drunk too.” she rambled.

  
Charon grunted in way of answer, not that he disliked Willow but he didn’t want to use her like Butch had been intending to use Rachel. Besides, it was hard to think of anyone else with Rachel’s breath ghosting over his skin as she talked.

  
He had to put her down when they reached their room. Charon couldn’t get the door unlocked while holding her. He did keep a firm grip around her waist to keep her upright while he unlocked their door though.

  
Rachel took a step across the thresh hold but she tripped on the lip of the doorway and pitched forward. Charon yanked her back against him and scooped her up again. He kicked the door closed again and carried her to bed, setting her down gently. Rachel fell backwards and sighed her contentment, her legs still dangling off the edge of the mattress.

  
Charon sighed and got to one knee, taking off her boots and socks for her gently. Rachel fiddled with her Pipboy and turned on a song Charon recognized from a long time ago.

  
“Someday he’ll come along…the man I love…” she sang along softly, wiggling her toes when they were free. She had a wonderful singing voice, it was low and sultry when she sang along with these kinds of songs. “And he’ll be big and strong…the man I love…and when he comes my way…”

  
Rachel put her foot on his chest playfully and he gently pushed it away. “Charon, have you ever been in love?”

  
“No, go to sleep.”

  
“I’m not tired.” She lied, yawning. “Neither have I.”

  
Charon shifted her so that she was lying fully on the bed and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. Rachel’s eyes drifted closed and she murmured something he didn’t hear as she rolled onto her side, facing him.

  
“Good night smoothskin,” he whispered. She made a noise that sounded like it was supposed to be night and he shook his head.

Even if Butch had gotten her to go with him she’d have passed out before he got to do anything. Whether or not he’d have taken advantage of her while she was asleep Charon couldn’t say but thankfully it wasn’t a question that was going to be put to the test tonight.

  
He looked around the room, there was only the one bed but that wasn’t a problem. He moved to the other side of the room and sat against the door with his shotgun in his lap. He’d slept like this many times and now it didn’t bother him at all.

  
Charon looked at Rachel’s sleeping form on the bed and shook her head, hoping she’d be able to sleep through the night. He hadn’t seen the poor woman get a full night’s sleep in all the time they’d been together. She tried to hide it from him but he saw her exhaustion all the same.

 

* * *

 

  
Rachel snapped her eyes open and looked around. It took her a few seconds to figure out where she was and a few more seconds to figure out why. She’d never been the kind of person that blacked out and she did remember everything up to the point where Charon had tucked her in.

  
She smiled, her brain still swamped with booze. Rachel closed her eyes again in the dark room but it felt like the whole ship was turning on its side. Somewhere way back deep in the slightly more sober part of her brain she knew she had vertigo but she still didn’t like it.

  
Rachel’s eyes found Charon sitting against the door and she furrowed her brow, leaning towards the edge of the mattress to get a better look at his shape. She could hear him snoring lightly but the whole situation confused her drunken mind.

  
_Why is Charon sleeping on the floor? That can’t be comfortable_. She sat up slowly and waited a few second for the room to stop spinning. _Awe, he gave me both blankets, he’s got to be cold._

  
_Charon does look cold._ She replied to herself in her mind.

  
_I should give him one of these blankets._

  
_That would be a nice thing to do, he does take such good care of you._

  
Rachel moved to the edge of the bed and slid quietly to the floor, not wanting to disturb her sleeping friend. She looked down at herself and scowled at her pants. She hated sleeping in pants.

  
It took her a minute but she got the offensive garment off and tossed them up onto the bed. Once she was free standing up seemed like way to much work so instead she crawled on her hands and knees towards the sleeping ghoul.

  
_He’s sleeping with his gun on his lap._

  
_That doesn’t seem safe._

  
_I’ll just move it for him._

  
Very carefully she lifted the weapon from his lap and she was pleased that she hadn’t disturbed him when he didn’t move at all. She gently set the shotgun down a couple feet away and looked at him now that she could see more detail.

  
His arms were crossed over his chest and he had one leg stretched out straight while the other was bent at the knee. He looked more relaxed then she’d ever seen him, there was even a small smile on his lips.

  
_I should give him a little kiss goodnight, that’s what you do when you tuck some in right?_

  
_He didn’t kiss you._

  
_Maybe he doesn’t know you’re supposed to?_

  
_I feel like…this is a bad idea._ She frowned to herself.

  
_Why?_

  
_I…I can’t think of a reason. I just feel like he wouldn’t like it._

  
_Really?_

  
_Yeah, he would probably want to be awake._

  
_You’re right. I’ll just have to wait for him to wake up._

  
Rachel looked back at the bed but deemed it way too far way to wait for him to wake up. She might even fall back asleep and miss him.

  
It didn’t occur to her at all that that didn’t really make any sense or that she’d just had an entire conversation with herself.

  
Instead of starting the long a perilous journey back to her bed she crawled into his lap and settled with her body between his legs. Rachel sleepily rested her head on his thigh, feeling very comfortable. She pulled the blanket over the both of them and closed her heavy eyelids with a relived little sigh, listening to the distant sound of his steady heartbeat.

* * *

 

The first thing Charon noticed when he started to wake up was that his thigh was incredibly warm. He reached out to touch the spot where his shotgun was warming him but his finger didn’t find the smooth and familiar butt of his gun.

  
Charon’s eyes flew open and her jerked when his gazed landed on Rachel sleeping soundly in his lap. She grumbled and tightened her arms, which Charon noticed, were wrapped around his leg like she was holding a teddy bear.

For almost a full minute his brain stalled. He had never woken up like this before. He had no idea how she’d gotten there without waking him up. He’d never been a heavy sleeper, it was one of the things that made him a damn good bodygaurd. The girl must be quiet as all hell. She’d even managed to move his shotgun and that was a mystery all in itself.

  
He looked her over and blinked, she was still in the tight black tank top but her pants were gone. Again. Her long naked legs were tangled with both his and the blanket she must have brought with her.

  
He’d never seen anyone lose their pants like Rachel seemed too. He looked around the small room but he didn’t see the dark jeans she’d been wearing when he put her to bed. He sighed, moving on to more pressing matters.

  
“Smoothskin?” Charon rasped. He was glad that she was sleeping but not thrilled about her location.

  
Rachel growled and snuggled her face into his thigh. The action made the ghoul jump and press tightly against the steel door when her head rubbed dangerously close to a place he really didn’t think she should be rubbing.

  
Rachel slapped her hand against his thigh and growled louder, annoyed that she was being disturbed. Charon growled back and got ahold of himself. He shifted carefully and got his arms around her. It was a little difficult to lift her from this position but he managed once he was able to pry her arms off of his leg.

  
He got her back onto her bed but when he tried to straighten Rachel wrapped her fingers around his wrist. He stood there for a couple seconds but she didn’t let go. Instead she pulled his hand close to her and cuddled his forearm.

  
He sighed in defeat and maneuvered onto the bed with her. He was able to drape the arm she had ahold of over her waist and lay comfortably on the other side of her. He did notice that he wasn’t doing a great job trying to emotionally distance himself from the girl.  
Rachel sighed in her sleep and his skin prickled where her breath floated across his hand. Just as the prickling started to subside Rachel softly pressed her lips to the place just under his thumb and he froze. It was so soft he might have imagined it but he didn’t think he had.

  
Charon stayed frozen in place for maybe a half an hour before Rachel let go of his arm. He sighed in relief but it was sort lived because she stretched and rolled over to face him, her eyes fluttering open.

  
She blinked a couple times while he tried to remember how to breathe and then she frowned.

  
Charon swallowed, not sure exactly how to explain why he was in bed with her. “I-um…you were…”

  
Rachel slowly sat up and stretched her back. Charon heard her spine pop a few times and she sighed sleepily. The girl looked around and her brows knit together. She looked at him and he gulped, awaiting her fury, he’d spooned her against her will. She wouldn’t ignore that.

  
“Charon…?” she asked slowly, her voice a little raspy after a long night of drinking.

“How…why are we in the bed?”

  
“I apologize mistress, you were on the floor when I woke up and-“ he fumbled but Rachel waved her hand, silencing him.

  
“We are gonna circle back to the mistress thing.” she told him as she ran a hand threw her hair, “I know about all that. I woke up still pretty drunk and you looked cold.” She explained slowly, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “So crawled over to give you a blanket.” she told him as she rubbed her eyes. “Then the bed was too far away so I stayed with you…”

  
She blushed a little more and bit her lower lip sheepishly, “But how did we get to the bed and why were we spooning?” she added.

  
Charon would have been blushing if the skin that still clung to his cheek wasn’t essentially attached leather. “You were sleeping on me so I attempted to move you back you your bed. But you held onto my arm and since you were finally sleeping soundly I didn’t want to wake you, so I simply allowed you to hold onto me.”

  
Rachel smiled at him tenderly and his stomach did a little flip. “Thank you. I was dreaming you know. I was falling but I managed to grab onto something and then everything was okay. It’s hard to explain. I wasn’t seeing just feeling.” Rachel looked away and swung her leg over the edge on the bed. “Do we have any water? I got some fuckin’ cotton mouth like you wouldn’t believe.”

  
Charon chuckled and got up, searching in her pack. When he found a full bottle he handed it to her and watched her gulp the liquid.

  
“Ray?” He asked when the bottle was empty.

  
“Yeah?”

  
“Now that I know how you ended up on top of me and I know you’re not angry I would like to know something?”

  
“What is it?” she asked curiously.

  
“Where in the fucking wastes are your pants?”

 


	26. Chapter 26

  
“That was so good!” Rachel beamed, almost skipping up the rusted stairs. “It’s been ages since I’ve had eggs.”

  
“I’m pleased you’re having a good morning.”

Charon almost smiled while he followed her through the narrow corridors of the ship. They’d been aimlessly wandering around the ship for an hour but he didn’t mind.

  
“I’m glad you’re having a good morning too.” she spun on her heel and walked backwards down the hall, grinning up at him. “I saw that look on or face when you bit into the brahmin steak.”

  
Charon allowed himself a small smirk, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  
Rachel got a few rogue butterflies in the pit of her stomach as she looked up at him and turned back around so he wouldn’t see the blush that was threatening to spread over her cheeks. A man’s half smile should not make her blush and she scolded herself for acting like a fifteen year old.

  
“So,” she drawled instead of thinking about her growing attraction to the ghoul. “What should we do next?”

  
“You don’t want to spend more time on the ship?” He asked, surprised. She’d been amazed when she’d first seen it.

  
Rachel shrugged, “It’s cool but I’m over it.” She glanced around to see if anyone was close and lowered her voice. “Honestly all the narrow halls and synthetic lights remind me of the vaults. It’s starting to get to me.”

  
Rachel subconsciously let her hand drift to her scared shoulder and Charon nodded his understanding. He agreed that the ship felt a little claustrophobic and he was ready to be back out in the open wastes if she was.

  
Rachel turned a corner and bumped into someone. A young woman stumbled back and fumbled for the pistol tucked into her waistband. Charon yanked Rachel’s back against his chest with a protective arm wrapped around her and aimed his shotgun over his smoothskin’s head with a snarl.

  
The Asian woman looked down the barrel of his gun and her frightened eyes started to well with tears. “Ar- are you working for Alistair Tenpenny?” She asked Rachel in a watery voice.

  
Rachel frowned at her, confused and hyper aware of Charon’s heated body pressed against her. “No, should I be?”

  
The woman whimpered before she turned and fled, disappearing in the ships network of halls.

  
Rachel blinked a couple times and tipped her head up to look at Charon, “Well…that was weird. What do you think it was about?”

  
The big ghoul shrugged, releasing his grip on the girl and putting his gun away. He didn’t want to lie to her but he didn’t want to tell her that the girl was probably an escaped slave from Tenpenny Tower. He’s heard a couple murmurs in the Ninth Circle about the place being overrun a few years ago but drunks weren’t exactly a reliable news source.

  
He’d heard a lot more about the old man who ran the place and none of them were good. If the old man still ran the place Rachel would want to go poke around and since the tower was No Ghouls Allowed he wouldn’t be able to protect her.

  
If Alistair was dead Rachel would still want to go poke around and it was hard telling who was living in the tower now. That was an even bigger headache he didn’t want.

“Whatever it is it’s not our problem.”

  
“I guess you’re right. Come on, let’s go find the flight deck!”

  
Charon followed dutifully. After a few wrong turns and at least a dozen flights of stairs Rachel opened a door and they were met with the sight of blue sky and the smell of water. There were a couple of kids playing off to the right but other than a single guard on patrol there were no other people on the large deck.

  
Rachel jogged towards the edge but halted several feet back from the end of the deck since there weren’t and guard rails. She clasped her hands behind her back and gazed out over the ruined city, enjoying the breeze blowing through her hair.

  
“Why don’t you get closer? I thought I was going to have to hold the back of your shirt to keep to from falling.” Charon teased and Rachel smiled softly, shaking her head.

  
“You know I can’t swim, I’m kinda…terrified of drowning.” She told him without moving her gaze from the city.

  
“I didn’t know you couldn’t swim.”

  
“Really? But you pulled me out of the river in the first few days we were together.”

  
“I thought you’d been effected by the explosion.” He explained, looking at her. The fact that he hadn’t known she couldn’t swim was concerning.

  
“Oh, no that was before I even knew I’d been hurt, anyway it’s not a big deal. Just, if you see me face down in any body of water please come get me because I’m not there on purpose.”

  
Charon nodded, “Of course.” his tone was calm but inwardly he was tense. Now he had to add all water sources more than two feet deep to the list of things that were a direct threat to her life.

  
“Are there any other inabilities I should know about?” he asked lightly, although it was a serious question he needed her to answer. “Anything I should watch out for?”

  
Rachel bit her lower lip and thought about it before shaking her head. “I don’t think so. After my pet deathclaw, deep water, talon Company and my _let’s go explore long abandoned structures attitude_ I think you’re covered.” She grinned up at him. “Geez, I must be a giant pain. You must be exhausted.”

  
Charon snorted. “If any new pain in my ass habit of yours comes up try to let me know before you’re bleeding out.”

  
“I’ll try.” Rachel grinned, elbowing him playfully. “But come on, we’ve had a pretty good day. We had steak and eggs for breakfast and nobodies made an attempt on either of our lives.”

  
This time Charon smirked outright. “Give it time smoothskin, it’s not even noon yet.”

 

* * *

  
It was early evening and the two of them were in the Market looking over what Flak &Shrapnel had to offer. She was admiring an assault rifle when Rachel felt someone watching her. She looked around and found Butch eyeing her from across the long room.

  
He gave her a smile but his eyes stayed hard as he slowly descended the stairs and moved towards her. Rachel elbowed her ghoul softly and he glanced up from the shotgun shells he had been inspecting.

  
“Yes?”

  
“Just a heads up, Butch is here and he looks like he wants to have a chat.” she told him in a soft undertone.

  
Charon sent a discreet glance over the room and nodded. “Let me know if you want me to handle him.”

  
Rachel nodded, thinking that it might be fun to watch Charon throw the kid off the edge of the ship.

She was still annoyed that he’d been so insulting to ghouls last night but she didn’t feel any hatred for him trying to get her to go home with him. It wouldn’t have been the first time she’d woken up in a strangers bed. Honestly that kind of male attention always made her feel pretty even though she’d never admit it to anyone other than herself.

  
Butch had wandered over to A Quick Fix so for whatever he was planning on doing it seemed like he was trying to work up the nerve. She caught him looking her way out of the corner of her a few times but he kept his distance.

  
Rachel smiled up at Shrapnel, the gruff man had watched Charon mistrustfully for the first few minutes but relaxed when the ghoul had asked what he had in stock for shotgun shells.

  
It was a much better reaction then they’d gotten from the two shops on the other side of the Market. The woman at the chem booth had refused to acknowledge Charon and had talked to Rachel in a snipped tone that bordered on fucking _rude._

  
The man at Potomac Attire however sniffed like he smelled something bad and then refused to offer his wears to them, saying. “I won’t let you get ghoul stink all over my clothes and ruin their selling value.”

  
Rachel had braced herself and had seriously considered hitting the man but Charon had put a hand on her shoulder and he’d shaken his head. She hadn’t been happy about it but she’d settled down.

  
The ammo dealers were gruff but no more so than they were to anyone else. Rachel made the firm decision that she was only ever going to do business with them.

  
The older man smirked back, “Something special you’re looking for?”

  
“Yeah, you wouldn’t happen to have a hunting shotgun would you?” She’d picked one off a dead raider years ago and had loved it. Unfortunately it had broken and without the caps to get it fixed and an already over stuffed pack she had to drop it instead of carrying around the extra weight.

  
“Sorry, Shotguns we got are combat and sawed off, never heard of a huntin’ one.”

  
Rachel waved him off. “It’s fine, I was pretty sure they were a New Vegas thing.”

  
“New Vegas?” Shrapnel asked in surprise.   
Rachel grinned, “I’ve walked a very long way.”

  
“Heya’ Baby doll,” greeted a regrettably familiar voice from behind her. Rachel turned and offered the boy a less then thrill grin.

  
“Hey Butch, did ya find your room okay last night?”

  
“Would have been easier if ugly over there would have let you come with me.” the greaser sneered at Charon who crossed his arms and stepped protectively behind his mistress.

  
Rachel put her hands on her hips and scowled, more than a little irritated with this man’s attitude. “I think that’s enough.”

  
“What? Can’t take a joke? Oh, maybe those rumors about you spreading those long legs for corpses ain’t so far from the truth?” Butch spat.

  
Charon glared, he was irritated with the boy but he was used to remarks of that nature.  
Rachel on the other hand did not handle being insulted by the boy well. She stepped in close, glaring at the boy with her jaw clenched. “That’s it! I’ve had enough of your gods all damned mouth. What I do and who I choose to let into my bed is none of your damn business. I told you to take a hike but apparently your little boy ego couldn’t handle that so you chose to change my mind by insulting me and my friend?” She kept her volume moderate but her tone grew colder with each word.

  
Butch tried to step back but she advanced, staying firmly in his personal space. “I chose not to fuck you because I don’t like the look of you. You’re a snotty little weak willed pansy that wouldn’t last three days out in the wastes. I only sleep with men. Men who can handle me, you didn’t make the cut so now take your bigot, self-absorbed, conceited ass out of my sight because if I have to get physical I will hurt you. So now that I’ve had your attention for a few seconds I hope you understand me when I say. _Fuck. Off.”_

  
Butch was red with anger but he didn’t have the backbone the challenge her now with everyone in the room looking their way. He turned, muttering something that sounded like bitch and he left. Behind her Shrapnel laughed loudly, a few other people chuckled as things went back to business as usual.

  
“Good for you girl. That vault kids a pain in the ass. ‘bout time someone took ‘im down a peg.” The man looked between the ghoul and the still agitated girl and cleared his throat. “Now I don’t know if any of them rumors are true but I tell ya me and Flak don’t really give a god damn.”

  
He looked over the weapons and ammo Rachel had brought to him to trade for things she actually used and he grinned widely, sensing two wastelanders worth there salt. “I tell ya, you kids keep bringing us in prime shit like this and I’ll even give ya a discount.”

  
Charon didn’t like being referred to as kid but Rachel’s remaining anger evaporated when the old man offered the discount and for that he was grateful.

  
They cleaned out Shratnel’s shotgun shells and .308s and walked away 400 caps richer after they traded everything they could.

After that they left. It was just a couple hours until sunset but neither Rachel nor Charon had any misgivings about traveling at night. It was easier to move in the darkness anyway and they were only going to Underworld.

  
Claws was beyond happy when Rachel whistled for him. He danced around them in his enthusiasm and even tried to lick Charon’s hands. Charon pushed the deathclaw away with an annoyed grumble and Rachel laughed as she scratched Claw’s head and chin.

  
They did spot a team of Talon Company mercs near the river but in the darkness the men were easy to avoid.

  
Rachel had spent a good amount of her life being a courier or maybe a messenger, depending on how a person looked at the different jobs she’d done. Now, wandering around the capitol wasteland because she felt like it seemed a little weird. Rachel wasn’t used to moving without at least a general idea of where she wanted to end up.

  
It was a stroke of luck that she’d met Charon, he’d saved her life more times in the last couple of months then she’d ever needed saving before. It was hard to accept that the Capital Wasteland was more dangerous than the Mojave but she certainly seemed to get into more trouble here than she had back west.

  
Maybe it was because the capitol had less widely settled areas. The towns here all had fortified walls around them and had long roads separating them. The wildlife had less variety but that wasn’t a bad thing. Hell, she’d live here forever if it meant she’d never see another Cazador. Those big bugs were unnecessarily aggressive and hard to kill.

  
“Rachel?” Charon asked softly and she stopped, giving him her attention. “Where are we going?”

  
“Underworld?” her answered sounded more like a question.

  
“I thought you might have changed your mind, we have been going in the wrong direction.”

  
Rachel looked around the metro tunnel they were in and then down at her pip-boy. She swore and blushed, she’d been so deep in thought she’d stopped looking at her map.

  
“Sorry, should we double back and find the turn I missed?”

  
“That would be wise, would you like me to lead?”

  
“If you think I’ll just get us more lost.” she laughed when Charon promptly moved ahead of her. Rachel’s laughter echoed through the dark tunnels and she clapped her hands over her mouth, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

  
Charon smirked and somewhere deeper into the tunnel Rachel had been leading them down the hiss of a feral ghoul echoed back. It was too far away for them to worry about but Rachel made a point to stay alert.

  
Charon lead the way back and twenty minutes later turned to a utility door that Rachel had missed completely. The girl blushed furiously when they entered the large metro station in just under twenty five more minutes. She’d doubled the time of their trip with her mistake and kicked herself for it.

  
Charon gave her a smirk and she flipped him off, muttering. “Oh, fuck off.”

  
He chuckled and the three of them headed for the stairs. Charon had just put his boot on the first step of the long dead escalator when a chorus of feral hisses echoed around them.

  
There was the distinctive fast patter of feet and Rachel brought up her rifle, blasting one of the two feral ghouls that appeared from the other side of the gloomy room. Charon blasted one of the several ferals trying to descend the stairs as Rachel sent another bullet into the one closest to her.

  
It fell to the ground only to have its corpse trampled by the feral ghoul behind it. That one swiped at her viscously, sending her rifle skittering into the deep subway tracks.

The ragged ghoul raised its hand to swipe again but Claw was suddenly between Rachel and the feral ghoul.

  
He took the ghoul’s attack for his mistress and swiped his own five inch talon’s ferociously, effectively disemboweling the feral ghoul. It was dead before it hit the ground.

  
A final shotgun blast and a third body tumbled down the stairs to Charon’s feet. He turned and yanked Rachel close to him, scanning the darkness for more danger but it was silent around them.

  
“Are you alright?” he demanded, seeing that she was weaponless. “Where the hell is your gun?”

  
“One of them got too close and knocked it down into the tracks, Claw fought it off while I was unarmed though.” She turned to her pet and frowned. He was shaking his head and making soft whiny growling noises. She’d never heard him make a sound like that before and it worried her.

  
“Claws?” She asked, side stepping. She leaned over so she could see his face and clapped a hand over her mouth.

  
“What is it?” Charon asked, watching her eyes fill with horror.

  
Rachel shed her pack and took a knee while she quickly dug through it. “He took an attack meant for me and that mother fucker caught him right in the side of his face.” the girl hissed.

  
Charon moved around her so he could see what she was talking about and his own eyes widened. Three long gashed run down the right side of the deathclaws face, they ran right over his eye and extended along his muzzle. There was a lot of blood making it hard to see the extent of the damage but the ghoul didn’t have high hopes for the creature’s sight.

  
Claw’s whined and bent his head, intent on rubbing it on the ground but Charon grabbed him.

  
“No,” he told the animal sternly, holding Claws’ head in his rough hands.

  
Rachel appeared at his side with a bottle of water, a stimpak and a rag in her hands. She put them on the ground and took a dose of Med-X from between her teeth. Charon wanted to argue about using their scarce medical supplies on the beast but he kept his mouth shut, he didn’t just lose an eye after all.

  
Rachel prepped the syringe and looked up at her ghoul. “You got him? I don’t want him to jerk and break the needle off under his skin.”

  
Charon moved and he ended having to straddle Claws’ back so that he would have a decent grip and Rachel would have room to work.

  
“Be careful.” Charon growled as Rachel bent infront of her pet. “Watch his hands.”

  
Rachel nodded and told Claws to hold still. Charon wasn’t sure if he understood her words or if the animal just found comfort in the girls voice but he did settle don’t.

Charon didn’t like her so close to the wounded deathclaw, it would be so easy for the creature to lash out in a moment of pain and gut her right in front of him. At the same Charon knew he wasn’t skilled enough to treat Claws in her place and he also knew it would be pointless to argue.

  
Claws only tried to jerk in Charon’s hands twice while Rachel worked. Once when she applied the med-x and once when she gave him a stimpak. When she was finished Charon let him go and he shook his newly bandaged head.

  
Rachel sighed and looked up towards the entrance way that would spit them out right in front of the Museum of History.

  
“I don’t want to leave him alone tonight.” She confessed.

  
Charon blew out a sigh of his own. “I didn’t think you would. Come, there was a maintenance room we can lock ourselves into for the night.”

  
Rachel kept a hand on the end on Claws’ nose as she followed Charon. Once they were locked inside the small room Claws found a nice corner and lay down. Rachel watched him for a second with a small frown on her lips.

  
Charon saw the look on her face and put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. When she looked up at him he gave her what he hoped was a comforting look. “It was not your fault you know.”

  
Rachel pursued her lips and held her breath against the sudden tears that welled up in the corners of her eyes. She held them back, willing them not to fall as she shook her head. “He got in front of me, if I’d had better grip on my gun this wouldn’t have happened.”

  
“No,” Charon disagreed. “He was protecting you, it would have happened regardless.” He tried to comfort her, hyper aware of the glittering moisture in her tear ducts.

  
“I could have downed that asshole before Claws’ got hurt.” she tried to insist and Charon felt a stab of panic when her voice cracked.

  
“And you may have shot Claws in the process. He put himself between you and your attacker because he loves you.” Charon explained gently, the air suddenly got heavy between them and Charon took an uncomfortable step back.

Rachel swept the hair from her face and he cleared his throat saying, “I should- I’ll get a little fire going.”

  
Rachel nodded, turning toward her pack quickly. “Yeah, I’ll find us some dinner.”

  
As she dug through her pack Rachel kept seeing the look Charon had just given her. It was soft and sweet and the kind for thing that got her a little spooked. She’d seen Boone look at Carla like that but nobody had ever sent that look her way. She’d never given them time too. She was more of a, disappear-in-the-middle-of-the-night rather than a stay-for-breakfast kind of girl.

  
She found a couple packages of noodles and pulled them from her pack along with a dented pot. She turned and saw that Charon already had a small blaze going in a metal bucket.

  
Rachel poured a bottle of clean water into her pot and balanced it on top of the bucket. Charon had made some holes a long to top and bottom rim so his fire could breathe while she cooked. Their silence was a lot less awkward than it could have been and after a few minutes Rachel switched on GNR. She heard the last note of whatever song the DJ had been playing and then the man’s voice floated out of her speakers.

  
_Hello children, this is Three Dog! Tellin’ the Truth, no matter how bad it hurts. Got some more new about our Guardian Angel. Seem she and her ever faithful mountain of a ghoul was spotted guiding a young vault dweller to Canterbury Commons. Is there another Lone Wonder in our mist? I can’t say for sure children. Well whatever the vaultie was doing out here seems he shuffled back to the vault as soon as he could but Angel, is vault 101 finally open for good?_

  
Rachel chuckled and looked up at her scowling friend.

  
“Angel and her faithful mountain of a ghoul huh?” she lifted an eyebrow and shook her head, “That’s to long for an effective team name.”

  
Charon shook his head. “Looks like you’re his new Wastelander of Interest.”

  
Rachel shrugged. “It’s a good thing I’m interesting.”

  
Charon snorted. He watched her while they ate and cleaned up for bed. She was pretending to be fine but he could tell she was still upset about her pet’s injuries.

Rachel kept glancing over at the sleeping deathclaw, her face a little sadder every time her eyes landed on the red stained bandage.

  
“Rachel,” Charon final called, he couldn’t let her torture herself anymore. “Why does this upset you so much?”

  
The girl looked at the floor and shrugged.  
Charon snapped the last piece of his shotgun in place and stood carefully.

“Please tell me. I can’t help you if I don’t know exactly what’s wrong.”

  
“I am only entitled to your services in combat.” Rachel muttered, not looking at him.

  
“Rachel,” Charon coaxed. “Please.”

  
Rachel didn’t look up but she did cross her arms over her chest. “I don’t know,” the said softly. “It shouldn’t bother me this much, he’s fine. He probably won’t be able to see out of that eye anymore but deathclaws don’t have great eyesight to begin with. They hunt but scent.”

  
Rachel looked up finally, the tears back in her eyes. “It’s just; he got hurt because of me. Just like you get hurt because I’m being carless, or I’m not as skilled as I should be or I let some asshole get the drop on me.” she bit her lip hard to keep it from trembling.

  
Charon felt himself soften towards her even more than he already was and he put his big hands on her shoulders. “Rachel, you are a very skilled wastelander. You’re a damn good fighter too but you’re just one person. Everyone gets pinned down occasionally, that’s why you have me and him. You’ve saved both of our lives before and we are both happy to return the favor.”

  
Rachel took a ragged breath and sniffed softly. “ _Why?_ ”

  
Charon swallowed the sudden lump of emotion in his throat before he whispered, “Because you’re important to the both of us.”

  
Rachel’s lips pursed and a single trader of a tear rolled down her dusty cheek. “I’m going to get you killed.”

  
Without thinking about what he was doing Charon lifted one rough hand to cup her face and he wiped the tear away with his thumb. Rachel shifted her sad iridescent golden eyes up into those cloudy blue ones and saw that look again.

  
The air between got heavy once again but this time the ghoul didn’t notice and flee before he did something he’d regret.

  
Instead Charon bent down slowly, holding her upturned face in his big hands and caught her lips with his.

 


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: There is some deathclaw related gore and angry Charon related violence in this chapter. There's also a bit of implied rape. Non graphic and fade to black. As much as i hate giving away what happens i'd rather you lovely folks be aware so you can skim over the bits you find unpleasant.

In that moment time stopped and comforting warmth spread through the both of them. For one glorious moment they both had a kind of inner peace that some people search for their entire lives and never fine.

Then Charon realized what he was doing. Flustered for possibly the first time in his long life the ghoul straightened quickly, snapping his hands back like her skin had electrocuted him.

Rachel just stared up at him with wide eyes, more hurt than surprised by his sudden desertion. Charon muttered something about going on patrol and he fled the room faster that if it had been on fire. When the door slammed shut Rachel slowly touched her lips and she looked over at Claws. He was looking back at her with one pale eye.

"Did- did that just happen?" she whispered, that kiss had brought all the troublesome feelings she'd been trying to suppress roaring to the surface and left her feeling frustrated in more way than one. His tender mouth had warmed her veins and burned away the depression that had settled around her shoulders.

But then he'd left.

Not even left, he'd turned tail and fled.

Rachel was smart enough to know that he'd probably assumed he'd over stepped his place. Truthfully he had but in a good way. At least now she knew he was suffering right along beside her.

She moved towards the wall and sat down next to Claws. He shifted with some effort and put his heavy head on her lap with a large sigh. Rachel idly rubbed the top of his head, humming in the silence of the room. Charon had kissed her. He'd kissed her and she'd liked it.

A lot.

 

* * *

 

Charon stopped walking and leaned against the cold concert wall. He'd gone far enough down the tunnel that he couldn't see the maintenance door anymore. She'd be fine without him for a little while, they'd cleared the tunnel already and he needed time to work out what the fuck just happened.

It had been stupid, kissing her. She was his employer for fuck's sake.

He ran a ragged hand over his face and kept moving. He'd just take a walk to calm his humming nerves and then go back to face her. She was going to be furious with his inappropriate behavior and she had every right to be.

Charon tried to come up with some kind of explanation but he simply hadn't been thinking. There wasn't any kind of thought process as she'd looked up at him with those sad golden eyes. He liked her eyes. They literally glittered in their campfire at night. They even glowed sometimes if the moon was bright enough. Rachel had feline eyes that burned with her own inner fire.

See that fire threatened by her swelling tears had twisted his gut and he'd acted on instinct. His instincts he usually could trust but this time they'd failed him miserably. He'd just not wanted her to look so upset. Apparently his subconscious had thought angry or disgusted were the better options.

The ghoul swore and headed back the way they'd come earlier that day. With a little luck he'd find something to take out his frustration on. If he could just go find those feral ghouls they'd heard in this tunnel earlier he'd take his time killing them off and then he'd go back.

Rachel might not forgive him immediately but Charon was sure she would eventually; he just hoped she didn't sell his contract before that time.

He found himself becoming very fond her and he wanted to stay by her side.

 

* * *

 

"There, do you like it?" Rachel asked her pet. She started making him a collar a couple days ago and had just finished. It was a simple thing made out of a couple old belts and a belt buckle she'd found years ago. It was pretty silver and had animals she'd never seen before carved into it. There was also a tiny latch hidden on the side that opened a secret compartment. It was the perfect place to hide valuables.

Claws shook his head and nuzzled her hand. She smiled softly but then she looked towards the door for the hundredth time and her smile faded.

Rachel groaned when she checked the time on her Pipboy. Charon had been gone for over an hour now and she was starting to get worried about him. It wasn't like Charon to run off for this long no matter what was going on between them.

She told Claws to stay put and cracked the door, looking from side to side. Not seeing anybody she slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Rachel figured he'd gone to Underworld for a drink so she headed for the metro station where they'd been attacked. She was going to give Charon a piece of her mind when she caught up with him too. It was one thing to need a couple minutes to think. It was an entirely different thing to disappear for hours at a time and leave her lusting.

She entered the big room and scanned the gloom with her rifle in hand. She went up the stairs silently, turning towards the entrance tunnel but the scuff of boots made her whirl with her gun up. She swallowed hard when she saw four men in black Talon Company armor enter the upper landing from the other side.

They advanced quickly and she took a few steps back. If she made a run for it they'd definitely shoot her and they never believed her lies so she decided she wouldn't even try this time around. The man in front flashed a sick grin and opened his mouth but Rachel cut him off, opting to be a smartass.

"Let me guess, Talon Company? And you're going to demand to know my name and then you're not going to believe whatever I tell you, am I right?" She cocked an eyebrow, her iron sights trained between his eyes. "Let's save it because I'm kinda in a hurry. I'm Rachel."

The guy glanced at his men and laughed darkly, "You're a smart woman. Smart enough to know that you can't beat the four of us alone. Why are you alone? Where is your pet ghoul?"

Rachel glared, " _Charon_  is just finishing up something in Underworld and he'll be here in a minute or two."

"We've been watching this tunnel for a few hours now. Since we heard gunshots down here and I think that you're here all alone. One of my men said he saw you're… _friend_  heading off in the tunnels and that was what? An hour ago?"

Rachel felt a chill sink into her spine.  _Charon I don't know why you back tracked but hurry the fuck up and get your ass back here_ , she thought.

The merc closest to her took a step in her direction and she pulled the trigger. The other three jumped, none of them expecting that she was going to fight while alone and outnumbered. Rachel fired again and caught another man in the knee as she stumbled back but they had all rushed her at once and they'd already been close.

Rachel had her gun wrenched out of her hands for the second time in one evening and her legs where swept out from under her. These men had been trained a little better than the mercs she'd run into before had been. Either that or she been seriously underestimating how much Charon protected her.

The man with the knee injury got back to his feet as the other two pined her down. He scowled at her and the pole in his hand lit up at the end with a blue line of electricity. Rachel kicked her leg out and grabbed her pistol from her cargo pants. She'd started cutting the inside out of the pocket over the place she kept Maria. It was easier reaching into a bottomless pocket then down her pants for her emergency gun.

Now she was especially glad she'd done it as she grabbed Maria and shot the man with the cattle prod in the throat. One of the men pinning her shoulders hit her over the head with the butt of his pistol and Rachel grunted as she hit the floor, her vision going blurry.

"Orders are to kill the ghoul." one man said somewhere above her as the bruising grip eased up.

"I already radioed for reinforcements, Troy will be here with his team in ten minutes. Can you handle the girl?"

"Yeah," Rachel felt a boot nudge her ribs. She tried to swear but the pain in her head seemed to be interfering with her mouth. "She won't cause any trouble now. I'll take her to the drop point and send one of the new guys to inform the Contact."

Rachel growled without sound and felt herself being lifted. She'd been carried over Charon's shoulder like this and it was plain the person carrying her now was much smaller. She twitched her fingers and gave a weak struggle against her captors grip. She didn't want to go with them.

"Holy fuck, she's still awake?"

"Zap her," the one carrying her ordered. "Don't want her to start screamin' and blow our cover."

Rachel gritted her teeth and threw her body weight to the side, causing the Talon merc to swear and loose his grip. Rachel rolled onto her stomach when she hit the ground but pain seared through her lower back as she was tased into unconsciousness.

 

* * *

 

Charon spun, looking back the way he'd come as gunshots echoed through the metro tunnels. He had his combat knife in one hand, glistening with fresh blood. He'd just slit the last feral ghoul's throat when he'd heard the shots.

The loud rifle went silent and then a smaller rapid fire weapon followed.

A pistol… strapped to a woman's thigh and only used when she was in trouble.

" _Rachel_ ," He cursed as his body flashed cold. He'd left her alone for way too long and now she was firing her  _some-asshole-is-in-my-personal-space_  firearm.

Charon tried to reason with himself as he ran down the dark tunnels that it could be someone else in a different part of the metros. When that didn't work he called himself every insult he could think of for traveling so far away from her.

Kissing her had been a mistake but they would ultimately move on. If he found her dead in a pool of her own blood he'd never forgive himself. Images of her brain matter splattered on concrete flashed through his mind with a few other horrific things he expected to find. Things raiders or super mutants would do to her if she were caught.

He got to the utility door faster then he thought he could run and wrenched it open. Claw stumbled out of the room, disoriented by his lack of vision but determined to move. Charon saw both of their packs still resting against the wall and there were long scratches in the metal door were Claws had tried to escape but there was no sign of Rachel.

Claw growled, scenting the air towards the platform station and Charon followed when the deathclaw started to move. If she was still alive he wanted to kill off as many hostiles as he could before they realized he was there. There was less chance of them killing her out of spite that way.

He pressed himself against into the shadows of the tunnel's mouth and peered into the big room. He could see five men descending the stairs. Charon growled and eased back, pulling a frag mine out of a pouch on his hip.

He motioned for Claws to follow him with a cold murderous rage settling over his shoulders.

Talon Company. From what he could hear of their conversation they were looking for him. he distinctly heard, "… _kill the ghoul and then we can start counting caps."_

Of course it was those assholes who had found her while he'd been stupid enough to leave her unprotected. Charon didn't know where she was but at least he knew they had orders to bring her in alive.

Charon eased back into the darkness and listened a few more seconds. They'd taken Rachel to a drop point but the bastards didn't say anything else about her location.

Charon made quick work of setting traps for the men sent to kill him.

The mines he planted killed two of them and in the smoke and dust he slipped silently by the other coughing men.

He killed a third by coming up behind him in the smoke and snapping his neck. The two other mercs a few feet in front did notice their companion was missing for a full minute and by that time Charon had hidden the body in a nearby bathroom.

The two Talon men backtracked and Charon could almost smell their fear. The big ghoul heard their boots halt near the bathroom door. He'd left it open on purpose to bait them. He heard one tell the other to go check it out. Charon pressed himself against the wall next to the door and when the guy stepped inside the ghoul grabbed him, disarming him in the process of slamming the man into the wall.

"Sick 'em," Charon growled as the second guy stumbled back out of the ladies room. Claws darted out of the stall he'd been eating in and attacked the remaining Talon merc enthusiastically. Claws was fast and the shots that the Talon Merc managed to fire were over the top of the deathclaws head.

He'd possibly been aiming for Charon since Claws was only waist height and easy to miss in a dark room.

Claw's gutted his target as Charon hauled his captive Talon man to the doorframe so he could watch his squad leader's innards yanked from his body. Claw's looked between the bathroom stall and the corpse at his feet before he bent, choosing to feed on the fresher body.

The Talon mercenary whimpered and stared wide eyed at his dead commander, then looked at the ghoul.

Charon lifted the man off his feet and held him against the cold wall.

" _Where is she?"_  he whispered through gritted teeth and the man started to shake.

"I don't know." he mumbled.

Charon growled, shifting so he could hold him up with one hand and broke the man wrist in a quick movement with the other.

He cried out and sweat started to bead on his forehead. Charon glared and asked again, "Where is she?"

"I swear I don't know! Only the senior guys knew stuff like that." He was begging. Charon pulled his knife from his belt and touched the blade to the back of his prisoner's ear. "Tell me everything you know. Everything you have overheard. If I like what you tell me I might let you live."

"I- I heard that they didn't have to take here very far from here. I think she was supposed to be held somewhere in the mall until further instructions were handed down from HQ."

"Who hired you assholes?"

"Somebody with caps to burn. Jabsco has most of us looking for you two." He wheezed, sweat dripping into his eyes.

Charon dropped the man and he struggled to get to his feet, trying to watch both the ghoul and the deathclaw at the same time. Charon let the kid hobble maybe ten paces before he pulled his shotgun from his back and filled the mercenary's brain with lead.

 

* * *

 

With a groan Rachel tried to stretch her stiff limbs but she found that her ankles and wrists were bound behind her. She slowly opened her eyes and squinted against the harsh lights around her. Rachel blinked furiously and squinted again.

From what she could see she was in a small room.

The walls and floor where dirt though so her classification as a  _room_  wasn't really correct. It was more likely a root cellar. The space under the ground was held secure by wooden beams.

_Hopefully_.

Rachel twisted and hissed, her back stung and she suddenly remembered getting tased.

Twice.

Somewhere between infuriated for being captured and worried physically sick for Charon Rachel started to struggle. She twisted her body and after a lot of swearing her managed to get her bound hands over her legs and in front of her.

She rolled around and slowly got into a sitting position, looking around again now that her eyes had adjusted. There was a small table close to a door that she hoped led outside. The large dark stains in the dirt next to her looked like something bloody sat there for a long time, the imprints in the hard earth suggested that it had been gore bags. There was also a bed pushed against the far wall and she could see a length of chain secured to one of the steel bed frame _._

_That's concerning at best_.

Rachel gathered her thoughts and inspected the ropes keeping her wrist together. Rachel reached for the knife in her boot and started swearing all over again. It was gone along with her boots. Upon further inspection so was everything else she liked to on her person. This included, much to her mounting rage, her leather armor and  _her boots_. Did these assholes have any idea how hard it was to find a good pair of boots that would fit her small feet?

Someone had striped her while she was unconscious. They'd left her only in her black panties and ripped once white tanktop. Her bra was still on and that was a small relief.

The knot in the rope was tight but she started working on it with her teeth anyway. She was nothing if not determined and she had no way of knowing how long it would be before her captors came back.

While she worked she thought about Charon. Was he alive? Every contract they'd picked off of dead Talon Company men said that he was to be killed. He was a good fighter but he would be alone and outnumbered.

The knot started to loosen but she heard footsteps and the sound of a key in the lock. Rachel maneuvered herself so that she was kneeling in time for the door to open. She didn't want to face an enemy sitting on her ass.

The same man who'd carried her here walked in and bared his teeth at her. "Up already, you're a tough fuckin' bitch."

"Untie me and I'll show you how tough I am." she growled.

He shook his head, "If it were up to me I'd shoot you right now but I have orders to keep you alive and collect the rest of our payment."

"Then what?"

"Then I'll hand you over to your new master." He grinned, enjoying the thought.

Rachel scowled harder. "Who do you work for?"

"I don't want to ruin the surprise." he drawled, "but you won't have to wait long. It's almost three; he'll be here soon."

"And you're going to babysit me until  _he_  gets here?" She probed.

"Those are my orders." He said, picking at his pinky nail like he was bored.

"Good." she gave him a twisted smile of her own.

"What?"

"My friend is gonna show up and kill you any minute now." she smiled but he smiled back and something twisted painfully in her gut.

"You're  _ghoul_ ," he hissed, leaning in close. "Is dead."

She felt herself go cold and empty as the words sunk in. Dead? Charon couldn't be dead. He was too badass to be dead. The man in front of her laughed and lit a cigarette.

"You're lyin'." she whispered.

"I don't care if you believe me or not. Fact is he ain't comin'." he told the glaring woman as he blew out the first lungful of smoke. He moved his eyes from hers and opted to stare at the wall. The lanterns in here were making her eyes look almost…almost like they were on fire. And the color combined with the hate filled glare was unnerving.

Rachel wished he would leave so she could call for Charon on her Pipboy. She wished Charon would call to her too but he could be out of range and it wouldn't be good for the mercs to learn about her communicator.

He would be looking for her right? He'd find her missing and search the entire wasteland for her…right?

It didn't take long at all for three in the morning to roll around. She was angry, exhausted and anxious all at the same time. Rachel didn't want to believe that Charon was dead but the Talon asshole had planted to idea in her head and the possibility was heart wrenching.

There was a knock on the door and the man grinned at her cruelly. He opened the door but from this angle she couldn't see who was on the other side. The Talon merc held out a key and his hand returned from beyond the edge of the doorway with a cloth pouch that was fat with caps.

He nodded and left without a second glance. Another person slid into the room with her and Rachel swallowed, gritting her teeth against the new flood of curse words welling up in her throat.

He gave her an oily grin and rubbed his boney hands together.

"Hello my dear." He chuckled with a sickly wheeze. "Are you surprised to see me?"

"Go to hell." Rachel hissed.

"Now now, that's no way to treat you're new master." he pulled  _her_  pistol from the inside pocket of his dirty white business suit. "You'll have to excuse the bondage, you're new slave collar will be here in a few days."

Rachel looked up into the conniving ghoul's eye with all the fury that she'd gathered up over the day and whispered. "I'm going to kill you."

Ahzrukhal scooped her up and dumped her roughly onto the bed. He was much strong than he looked. Rachel rolled and kicked her feet out, catching him in the squarely chest. He stumbled back but then he flicked his hand out and slapped her hard enough that she could taste blood in her mouth.

Rachel gasped and the ghoul point Maria at her.

He snarled, snapping the ankle chain in place before he cut the ropes binding her feet together. He didn't bother to free her hands.

_Maybe he knows I'm dangerous_.

"Now," his wheezed, his eyes traveling over her pale legs. "I think you and I are going to finish what we started. Only this time I'm going to be the one holding the gun."

"I'll kill you first," she warned.

"I thought you might feel that way so I brought you a little something to help you relax." he grinned and swiftly punched her in the gut. Rachel gasped and he shoved a Jet inhaler into her mouth, forcing her to breathe the drug. The affects hit her quickly and everything around her shifted. She felt a distant prick on her wrist and she looked down in time to see a Med-X needle withdraw, then a second was applied.

She started to float. The walls fluttered with shadow from the lanterns and they were all looking at her. Rachel knew somewhere in the back of her mind that what she was seeing wasn't real but she couldn't seem to connect her brain to her body.

She had the insane notion of swimming in colors and she was pretty sure she could hear the wasteland singing. It was a lonely song but she liked it.

Deep in the confines of the drugs the ghoul had pumped into her she only loosely aware of the rest of her cloths being cut from her body and his damp, ragged hand sliding against her skin.


	28. Chapter 28

  
_Blood_.

  
It was almost all the big ghoul could think about.

  
He wanted to drain the red liquid from whoever had taken Rachel away from him. He’d paint the walls with it. Equally whenever he wasn’t picturing the violent ends he could bring down on the _Contact_ his mind tortured him with all the ways the _Contact_ could be spilling her blood.

  
Charon opened the basement door to the decrepit shop he was in and inspected every inch of the little room.

  
Nothing.

  
No helpful Talon informant, no hidden doors… _no Rachel._

  
Frustrated he kicked the wall, the old brick cracked under the force of his steel toed boot and dust flew into the air. It had been two complete days and he’d searched every building in the mall from sub basements to rooftops.

  
He’d even crawled through the ruble of the collapsed structures that littered the mall searching for hidden doors or secret basements.

  
He’d found two but the only things inside were dust covered supplies and the skeletons of the people who’d tried to wait out the bombs there.

  
He’d taken the salvable supplies he’d seen and had left the dead to their resting places.   
This building, it sign was ruined beyond recognition but he was pretty sure it had been a café once upon a time way back before the world burned. It was empty just like all the others had been.

  
Charon sent one last glance around the room and left. He numbly decided he’d go back to Underworld and check to see if anyone had seen or heard anything out of the ordinary. Maybe somebody notice people around. Maybe by some miracle of the wasteland somebody had left a map with directions to his little lost smoothskin.

  
Charon rubbed his tired eyes and trudged towards the city of the undead. It didn’t take long to navigate the old trenches. Hell, even if the super mutants were still swarming around here it wouldn’t have taken him long but killing a dozen of them might have made him feel better.

  
Willow was the first ghoul he saw and she gave him a tight smile when she saw him. She already knew of course, everyone in Underworld knew. Underworld was the second place he’d combed. The first had been the Metro’s running around and under the Mall.

  
“No luck?” she asked sympathetically and his dejected grimace was all she needed for an answer. She frowned and nodded towards the door. “Come on, Quinn just got back and I’m due for a break. He can take over while I buy you a drink.”

  
“No time.” Charon rasped, “Has anyone been into Underworld since the other day.”

  
Willow shook her head. “Nobody but Quinn, Although Ahzrukhal has left a couple times.”

  
“He has?”

  
“Yeah, guess without you to order around he has to pick up his own shipments.”

  
Charon scowled, drawling sarcastically. “My heart bleeds for him.”

  
The Ninth Circle was the one place Charon hadn’t gone into when he’d been searching for Rachel. He’d been too worked up too deal with his former employer and now he was too exhausted. He’d end up killing the man out of spite and then Winthrop would be up his ass about slaughtering residents no matter how much old Az deserved it.

  
Charon didn’t have time for that.

  
Willow regarded him for a long moment and then nodded once. “Stand guard for me, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She told him and was gone before he could tell her to get bent.

  
He sighed and leaned against the stone barricade that ran around the metro entrance. He didn’t want to sit here but he wouldn’t leave Underworld unguarded either.

She’d said she wouldn’t be every long and as much as he wanted to keep searching he really didn’t know where to go now.

  
Charon rubbed his tired eyes for the hundredth time and looked out over the mall, “ _Rachel…_ where the fuck _are you?_ ”

  
Charon would never know exactly how long he’d dozed off for but the sudden bump against his hand made him grab his shotgun with a curse. He swore again when he looked down at Claws. He’d been leave the beast in the Metro’s but it looked like the deathclaw had gotten tired of waiting.

  
Claws looked up at him and Charon gave his leathery hide a pat. His eye was healing but Charon knew now that the damaged eye would never regain sight. He was going to have a scar too. Between that and the collar Rachel must have put on him while Charon was off killing they’d always be able to tell Claws from other less domestic deathclaws.

  
The big doors of the museum opened and both Willow and Quinn stopped short, reaching for their weapons. Charon growled, too tired to offer the explanations Rachel would have in this situation, and put a ruined hand on the deathclaw’s head.

  
Claws looked between his ghoul and the new people before settling next to Charon with an exaggerated sigh.

  
“Wh-” Willow tried to questioned but she couldn’t get the words to form in her mouth properly.

  
“What the fuck?” Quinn finished for her as he held on tightly to his rifle.

  
“He belongs to Rachel.” Charon told them simply, offering nothing else. The two ghouls exchanged looks and then Willow held a bottle of whiskey out towards Charon.

He took it but didn’t drink.

  
Both Willow and Quinn had their own bottles and they both took long pulls, never taking their milky eyes off the little deathclaw.

  
_“So…_ it’s tame?” Quinn asked carefully to break the silence getting heavy between them.

  
Charon looked at the beast and shook his head. “No, he’s loyal. I’ve watched him rip apart our enemies. Little bastard think’s Rachel is his mother or some shit.”

  
“I see.” Quinn mumbled although he didn’t seem sure. “So no leads on her?”

  
“If I had a lead I wouldn’t be here with you assholes!” Charon snarled with more hostility then he’d intended.

  
Willow studied the bigger ghoul for a long time, noting the changes in him. His eyes were bloodshot behind the milky-ness and his face looked more haggard then it had ever been under Ahzrukhal’s employment.

Charon’s slumped posture and shaking hands practically screamed his exhaustion.

  
“When was this last time you slept?” She finally asked.

  
Charon scowled at her and she scowled back, unthreatened. Finally his shoulders slumped, defeated. “Maybe three days…I’m not sure.”

  
“You should go rent a bed from Carol. I’m sure she’d give you a line of credit if you don’t have the caps on you.” she coaxed, “hell I’ll pay for it. You look like hell.”

  
“I can’t.” he was already shaking his head. “Not while Rachel’s out there. I have to find her. She’s the only thing that matters.”

  
“And what happens if she isn’t alone?”

Willow challenged as gently as she could.  
“I’ll kill every single person keeping her from me.” Charon growled.

  
“Not if you collapse from exhaustion.” Willow growled back although her voice held none of the aggression that his had.“ Charon you won’t be any good to her if you can’t see straight.”

Charon tensed and Claws growled at Willow, responding to her tone and his pack elder’s posture. Charon put a calming hand on him sighed because he knew just how right she was. “I know, but I _can’t.”_

  
“Do you love her?” Quinn asked and Charon looked at him sharply.

  
“She is my employer.” He answered automatically.

  
“Yeah,” Quinn agreed. “But you wouldn’t have gotten this worked up if Ahzrukhal had disappeared.”

  
Charon looked at his hands warily. The fog in his brain was making it hard to think. “I…care for her.” he finally told them slowly. “In ways I have no right too. I think she cares for me too. I would feel confident saying we are … _friends_.” He pictured Rachel curled up next to him when he’d been hurt in Vault 108. “Loyal friends.”

  
Quinn nodded, satisfied with Charon’s honest answer. “Let me help you look for her.”

  
Charon started to shake his head _. “No”_ already on his lip but he paused, thinking better of it. “You don’t have too.”

  
“I want too.” The merchant glanced down at Claws, “The wasteland need’s an Angel to walk it. I would hate to know I could have helped and didn’t.”

  
Charon scratched the deathclaw’s head. One look at Claws and everyone knew who Rachel was thanks to Three Dog.

  
Charon stood, ignoring his protesting back, and nodded to the next building over. It had been a Law Office once.

  
“Come on, We should get started.”

 

* * *

  
“And that asshole said she was in the Mall?” Quinn asked some hours later.

  
“Yes,” Charon confirmed. “She could have been moved by now though. It was only supposed to be a drop point but there should be signs. There isn’t anything to suggest anyone was held against their will or even that anyone has been in the area.”

  
Quinn watched the other ghoul open a door for the hundredth to inspect an empty closet. When Charon slammed the door shut again Quinn sighed. “Charon we’ve been looking for hours. _You’ve_ been looking for days. Come back to Underworld and get some fucking sleep. We can start fresh in the morning.”

  
Charon wanted to argue but he was too tired to think of a new dispute. Instead he nodded and trudged after Quinn. They hadn’t found any trace of her of course.

  
He knew the likely hood of finding her alive got slimmer with every passing hour. Still he wasn’t going to be able to keep going very much longer. Willow was right, a couple hours of sleep and he’d start again. A power nap, really. Even that made him feel guilty, like he was condemning her on purpose.

  
When they reached the doors to the Museum of History Charon looked over his shoulder. As if they could feel his resolve to sleep breaking both Quinn and Willow each took one of his elbows and towed him inside.

  
He didn’t fight them, instead he let the two guide him towards the steps. He might even consider them friends later when his brain wasn’t aching so painfully. He found himself in Carol’s Place soon enough and he was directed to sit.

  
“-ron?”

  
He blinked and looked up at Carol, Quinn and Willow were gone. She smiled uncertainly at him and he forced himself to focus. “Sorry?”

  
“I asked if you wanted something to eat Charon.” She repeated, trying to mother him like every lost soul that crossed her path.

  
“No, I’m fine ma’am.” He reached down to unlace his boots only to find that they were already off. The two packs he’d been dragging all over hell were stacked neatly on the bed next to his too. He didn’t even remember taking them off his shoulder.

  
Carol nodded but she returned a minute later with a bottle of irradiated water and a bowl of warm noodles.

  
“Here you go dear.” She told him kindly. “I think you should eat anyway. It’ll help keep your strength up.”

  
“Thank you Ma’am.” It was all he could think to say as his hands wrapped around warm porcelain.

  
Carol fussed with a wispy lock of her hair and smiled warmly. “Oh call me Carol.” She told him, “now eat those noodles and get some sleep.”

  
“If I’m not up at dawn will you wake me?” Charon asked as she turned to leave.

  
“Oh of course dear, though I’m not sure I’ll be up that early. I’ll do my best.”

  
Charon nodded, she reminded him of the chipped bowl warming his hands. “Thank you…Carol.”

  
She left him with a warm goodnight and he shook his head, eating the food as he’d been instructed too. She was possibly the sweetest woman alive today. Carol prompted the vague memories he had of his own sweet mother.

  
He remembered that she’d been gentle and kind. He also remembered that she’d died before the war.

  
Back before he’d even joined the military.

  
She’d been sick and that illness had claimed her quickly.

  
His father had died too…a reaction to his mother’s death. They had passed maybe a year apart, leaving him and his two younger sisters on their own.

  
Charon drained the liquid left in his bowl and set it on the floor next to his bed. He was too exhausted to try to dig the past out of his foggy memory. Generally Charon didn’t want to remember the past, even the good parts, but in spite of himself he pulled the chain around his neck from under his armor.

He ran his thumb over the worn metal and snapped open the oval locket he kept with his dog tags.

  
Two ginger haired girls smiled up at him from the faded pictures and pain twisted in his chest. Charon snapped the locket closed again and settled into bed. Rachel had asked him about the locket only a little over a week ago. If he found her, _when he found her_ , he’d show it to his little smoothskin.

  
Charon promised himself that he’d try to be more open with her. He’d try to reciprocate the trusting friendship she forced onto him every day. He would do it because he wanted to be her friend. He’d let his contractual obligations fall to second for the first time since he’d gotten it.

  
Even if it was only going to last for her short lifetime he was going to be Rachel’s friend.

 

* * *

  
Groaning Rachel opened her bloodshot eyes. Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton and her head felt like a super mutant had used her skull for batting practice.

  
She wiped sweat from her neck and reached for the Jet inhaler on the table that had been dragged next to the bed. Her ankle shackle chafed but it was hardly worth noticing once the drug filled her lungs.

  
She’d only gotten half a hit out of the inhaler but it was enough to take the edge off.

Ahzrukhal never left her with enough to get a good high but at least she could function while he was away. She hated knowing in just a couple of hours she’d be a shaking idiot praying he’d return with more.

  
Today was the first day she didn’t have someone from Talon Company watching over her during the day. Touching her and feeding her the drugs that made her compliant.

  
Apparently part of the payment they’d gotten was taking turns with her. One of them had told it was payback for all their men she’d killed but she’d been too out of her senses to even feel his abuse.

  
Now, while she could almost think straight, she worked on unscrewing the bolt that attached her to the bed. There were two and she hadn’t even started loosening the first one but it was better than just sitting there waiting for old Az to return. Her bruised skin was enough of a reminder to keep her focused and motivated on escaping while she slipped into drug withdrawals.

  
She caught a shadow out of the corner of her eye and her head snapped in the direction of the movement. For a split second she could have sworn she’d seen an animal dart back into the shadows. The narrow passage wasn’t that long though and she could see all the way to the back where a lantern burned.

  
There was nothing there.

  
Rachel looked at her Pipboy and growled. 5 am. She’d only slept an hour.

  
She knew she was probably hallucinating the shadow animals now. Exhaustion and drug withdrawal could do that. The first time she’d seen one she’d thought it was a species she’d just never encountered before. It was only after she started seeing them more that she realized they critters weren’t real.

  
Finally alone she flicked over to the communicator and clumsily pushed the button to call for Charon. She was already starting to feel loopy.

  
“Hey, are you out there?” her voice was almost as raspy as his from the thick coat of dust in her throat. The seconds ticked by but she didn’t get a response. He was either out of range or dead.

  
Ahzrukhal kept saying he was dead.

  
The thought of her stalwart ghoul companion being dead hit her harder than it should have and she was reduced to sobbing onto the dirty mattress. It was a very clear sign that the jet was worn off but there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it and that only made her cry harder.

 

* * *

  
Charon woke with a start and sat up. He knew where he was but he was still confused. He thought he’d heard someone whisper to him.

  
His mind was playing tricks on him, he guessed.

  
He rubbed his eyes, the lids felt like they were made of lead but he forced himself to get up anyway. Charon put on his boots quietly and looked at the communicator on his wrist. Using it was a gamble. If she was being guarded and they heard him Rachel could be put in danger.

  
Charon glanced around the room. He was alone so he hit the button, unable to hold out any longer. At least if she was in range she might be able to tell him if she was still in the mall.

  
“Smoothskin?” he whispered experimentally.  
The room was absolutely silent for a long time and he was standing to go have a cigarette when the speaker crackled with static. “lo?”

  
Charon swore and grabbed his gun, heading for the door. He jogged, footsteps echoing on the marble walls of Underworld. The only person he saw moving was Winthrop who was taking a grate off of one of the vents.

The other ghoul didn’t even look up as Charon passed him.

  
He bust out into the cool pre-dawn air, not slowing until he was standing on the cracked sidewalk. Willow was there but he hushed her when she started to ask what the fuck he was doing.

  
“Smoothskin?” he asked into his watch, vaguely aware of Claws appearing at his side. “Rachel, can you hear me?”

  
“ _Charon?_ ” she asked after a few long seconds, the static was much less outside and he could hear the weariness in her voice.

  
“Where are you?” he demanded while Willow inched close to listen.

  
“ _Hey Charon, Listen. I know you’re dead. I can see the shadows, they want to play. I guess I’m hallucinating you too.”_ her voice trembled at the end like she was about to start crying.

  
“What the fuck are you talking about?” It was still a demand but the ghoul was pretty sure he knew what she was saying.

  
_“Not enough Jet to chase away the shakes._ ” her vice floated through the speaker in a sing song kinda way. “ _At least I have you back for a little while.”_

  
“Come on smoothskin, I’m not dead, alright?” Charon told, relieved and frantic all at the same time. She was close but drugged up worse than a wasteland junkie. Where the hell were they keeping her? “I need you to try and focus, can you tell me where you are?”

  
_“It’s nice of you to say that, so I guess I’ll play along like I didn’t steal your breath and sight.”_ her words barely made sense and only very little sleep the riddles were perhaps more frustrating than not hearing from her at all. _“I’m in a cave…or a mine …or something…”_

  
Charon scowled, “What do you mean?”

  
“ _What I said, there’s a door on the other side of the darkness….but I can’t get there. The bed is biting my leg.”_

  
Charon swore under his breath, “Okay, tell me something else. Are you still with Talon Company?”

  
_“I think they might have left today, the first day I’ve been alone is today. It won’t last, he’ll be back to take what she owes him. She owes him quite a lot it seems. She killed a lot of men to stay away.”_ Charon could hear the fear creeping into her voice and he gritted his teeth.

  
“Who?”

  
_“Who? Whhoo… A bird said that before the war right? An Ole?”_

  
“An Owl, Rachel-“

  
_“An Owl…I bet it was pretty. Hey Charon? Thank you. I figure since you’re a corpse on longer walkin’, and all because of me, you should know that I was sad you left. All hot and bothered and alone you left me. I like it when you kiss me. Yours are better than the ones I’ve gotten lately. You’re lovely about it… and you’re not wet. Soggy skin ... smoothskin here doesn’t like it. Squishy leather and sweaty mercs…”_ she trailed off, falling silent.

  
Charon felt a cold chill flash down his spine. “Rachel focus, who’s squishy? Did a ghoul kidnap you?”

  
“ _No_ ,” she scoffed, “ _Puppets stole me away… Ghoul is the puppet master… You’re puppet master once upon a nightmare living_.”

  
Willow knew exactly who the babbling girl meant when she said Charon’s old puppet master.

  
Charon did too.

  
She watched his back snap straight and a feral growl rip from his throat. Claw’s ducked his head and scurried out of the way as Charon whirled and kicked a blue mailbox so hard a crack split in the middle of the big dent he’d made.

  
_“I hear thunder_ …” they both heard Rachel comment as the echo reverberated around the Mall.

  
Charon had his gun in his hand and was heading back into Underworld but Willow planted herself firmly between him and the door.

  
“Move!” he roared.

  
She flinched and put her hand up like she was trying to calm a raging animal.

  
“Charon, find her first!” she shouted, catching his attention even as he was forcefully sweeping her to the side.

  
When he didn’t say anything but paused she continued. “You don’t know how hurt she is, or even _where_ she is exactly! Find her and kill him later!”

  
“I can find her when I beat her location out of his sorry ass!”

  
“You were with him for _seven decades_! Do you honestly expect him to tell you the truth!” she snapped. “I don’t. I expect him to lie to your face, die and laugh from his reserved seat in hell!”

  
The seven foot ghoul set his mouth in a hard line and she knew she’d made him see her point.

  
_“Charon?...have you flown away again?_ ” a voice crackled at his wrist.

  
Eyes never leaving Willow’s he lifted the watch to his lips. “No, I’m coming to get you.”

  
_“Oh good, I miss the sun_.”

  
Charon looked out over the mall with a renewed fire in his eyes. “She’s close enough that she could hear that echo.” he said to Willow, glancing at the busted mailbox.

  
“She’s close enough for Ahzrukhal to slip out and see her without him having to travel very far.”

  
“What the fuck could she mean by a mine? There are no mines in the Mall.”

  
Willow snapped her fingers. “Have you searched the super mutant bunker?”

  
Charon rounded on her. “What bunker!?”

  
Willow took a step back and pointed, “Out there was a bunker the mutant’s hid in. This end collapsed last year but the other end might still be standing.”

  
“Why didn’t you tell me!” Charon yelled, furious that he’d been careless enough to miss it.

  
“I thought it had been destroyed! Until she said she was in a mine I’d forgotten about it!”

  
Charon grabbed her wrist and dragged her with him in the direction she’d pointed. “Show me!”

  
Together they ran, Claws skittering after them. Willow jumped two of the narrow gullies with Charon close behind her. She went over a fortified hill and jumped into the pit behind it, spinning. She stumbled to the hidden door and turned the handle of the wooden barbwire door Charon had missed so many times in the last few days.

  
“It’s locked!”

  
“Move!” Charon swept her out of the way and the wood around the lock shattered like glass under his boot.

  
“Rachel!” he roared, unable to believe he’d missed this place. He’d searched every inch of the buildings surrounding the mall but he hadn’t even thought to check the barren center.

  
Dust swirled in the in the dim room, the only light coming from a lamp by his foot and another on a bedside table. He jogged forward, turning in a circle.

  
He didn’t see her.

  
“Rachel!” he called into his communicator and blinked, hearing his echoed voice in the room. It was followed by a whimper. Slowly he took a more careful look around and saw an inch think chain leading under the bed.

  
He got to his knees and looked under the rusted frame. Two glowing golden eyes set in a pale face gazed back at him.

  
“Rachel?”

  
The eyes flinched and he withdrew the hand that had been reaching for her. She was like a frightened animal.

  
“Who are you?” she asked in a quivering voice. “You look like a dead man and it’s cruel.”

  
“I’m Charon,” he coaxed, unsure about what was running through her head. “The idiot who left you unprotected.”

  
“Prove it,” she challenged, the chain clinking as she retreated further under the bed.  
The ghoul blinked and looked back at Willow. The ghoulette shrugged and he looked back under the bed, wanting nothing more than to pull Rachel into his arms and never let go.

  
He sighed, thinking. “Okay…ah… I’ll tell you something only you and I know about?”

  
She shifted, listening.

  
“The first time I saw you with no pants on was the first night you slept curled against me. In vault 108 after we barely survived a horde of violent clones all named Gary. You saved my life that night.” He said it quietly but he knew Willow could hear him. He trusted her to keep her mouth shut but it had been an intimate moment for him and he didn’t want to share it with anyone but the girl under the bed.

  
Charon carefully reached out to her and Rachel took his hand this time, letting him pull her out from under the bed and into his hard embrace. She buried her face into the nape of his neck and sobbed there quietly. She kept whispering non-sense about angels and undoing the dead.

  
Charon had his arms wrapped around her tightly with what was left of his nose in her hair. Listening to every babbled word and rocking her slightly.

  
After a couple long minutes Willow cleared her throat and when Charon glared at her she gestured to the girl in his arms. “You should take her to Barrows, poor thing looks like she’s had a rough couple days.”

  
Charon loosened his grip enough to get a good look at her and nearly saw red all over again. She was completely naked and her skin was a mass of dark bruises and angry cuts. Some looked like finger nail scratches and others were very clearly vicious bites.

He didn’t miss the soft relieved sigh she gave when he let go of her. Charon had to stop himself from leaving her with Willow to go murder the man that had caused it.

  
Instead he stood and helped her to stand with him. When she was stable her growled, “Cover your ears.”

  
She did just in time for a shotgun blast to shatter the end of the chain locking her to the bed. Rachel jumped but she didn’t move away from him. He looked down at her and yanked a stained greyish sheet from the bed.

  
Charon wrapped the sheet around her shivering body, rubbing his hands over her shoulders. He didn’t like the bluish tint to her skin. Charon saw her turn her head quickly and she leaned enough to look around the edge of the bed.

  
“What is it?”

  
She shook her head, “The shadows want to play…do…do you have any Chems?” she asked, embarrassed but still desperate.

Charon heart squeezed painfully and he shook his head, seeing her glassy bloodshot red eyes and the sheen of sweet on her skin.

  
“No,” he scooped her up with one arm behind her knees and the other supporting her back. The sheet trailed almost to the ground but it didn’t slip from her body. “I’ll take you to the doctor, we’ll get you fixed up.”  
She leaned into his chest, finding comfort in the body heat radiating through his armor.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “For saving me.”

  
_“Always_ ,” He whispered back as Willow took point on the way back to Underworld.

  
“I missed you.” She whispered against his neck, her head resting on his shoulder.

  
Charon held her tighter. “I missed you too smoothskin.”


	29. Chapter 29

  
Quinn was leaning against the concrete barricade outside of Underworld with a cigarette between his green tinted lips. He was on his second and was wondering where the hell Willow had run off to. It wasn’t like her to disappear, especially in the mornings when they could sneak down the metro steps for a few heated minutes without the other ghouls getting ideas.

  
They didn’t want anyone to think they were in a relationship, neither one of them had time for one. With Willow almost never leaving her guard post and Quinn spending most of his time trading in the wastes a relationship would be impractical. They would just be waiting for each other all the time, right now their friends with benefits arrangement suited both life styles.

  
He’d been hoping to spend a few minutes with her before going to wake up Charon. Quinn didn’t know where they should start but he’d keep helping as long as Charon allowed him to tag along.

  
He heard a sharp whistle and his head snapped instinctively towards the sound.The half smoked cigarette fell from his lips when he caught sight of the familiar ghouls heading towards him through the shimmering heat.

  
Willow walked a few paces head and to the right of Charon, gun ready in case of danger. In the early morning light the limp red headed smoothskin wrapped in white looked a hell of a lot like the Angel Three Dog had titled her.

  
Quinn didn’t realize he was moving until the sun hit him, warming his torn flesh. Willow gave him a grim look that made him want to drag her into his arms right then and there. Instead he stammered. “W-where the hell did you find her?”

  
“Mutant Bunker.” Charon growled, murder in his pale eyes. “Get the doors.”

 

* * *

 

Winthrop was in the process of moving his ladder from one lost-cause broken air vent to another when the front doors swung open wide. They were dragged all the way to the sides by an anxious looking Willow and Quinn. Charon followed with an animal Winthrop never thought he’d see in Underworld.

  
“What the fuck!” he yelled as his laddered clattered to the floor. The group ignored him entirely and with the homicidal expression on Charon’s face he decided as long as the deathclaw didn’t attack anyone he wouldn’t go out of his way to say anything until the girl was taken care of.

  
It was beside the fact that anyone else with a deathclaw in tow would be tossed out immediately. It wasn’t like Winthrop had anyone big enough to toss out Charon anyway.

  
Charon cradled Rachel close to his chest as he hurried towards the medical room. Her eyes were half open but he couldn’t tell if she was conscious or not. At least she was breathing, he tried to console himself. As long as she was breathing everything else could be taken care of.

  
Both Willow and Quinn each grabbed a handle of the Chop Shop doors and dragged them open for Charon without the big ghoul having to break stride. Dr. Barrows looked up from his clipboard and swore when he caught sight of the girl, tossing his notes on his desk.

  
“Put her there.” He directed, pointing to an empty gurney. “Nurse! Gather my tools, quickly.” He immediately removed her sheet, ordering everyone to get out. Charon moved to stand against the wall as the other two obeyed the Doctor. Barrows didn’t argue, just nodded and set to work.

  
He worked for a little under an hour beneath Charon’s protective eye until finally Barrow glared up at him.

  
“Damn it Charon! Get out!” he yelled. “I can’t work with you growling like an animal every time I touch her. Go find something to do and I’ll come get you when I’m finished!”

  
“I’m not leaving her!” He snarled, pushing away from the wall the stand at his full height.

  
“Yes you are!” Barrows snarled back. “Her life isn’t in immediate danger but that could change if you keep distracting me! Now get out!”

  
Charon glared but the doctor glared right back, unafraid of the giant body guard.

Charon swore and left with a threat of what he would do if he came back and she was harmed in any way. Barrows just shooed him, closing the door sharply as soon as Charon was across the threshold.

  
Charon fumed for a few minutes and felt a nudge on his hand. He looked down at Claws and rubbed the deathclaws nose. It was as close to affection as he got with the animal but Claws seemed pleased with it anyway.

  
Someone cleared their throat and he looked up, Quinn strolled over to him and glanced towards the Ninth Circle. “Willow’s guarding the door, making sure he doesn’t leave in a hurry.”

  
Charon nodded, looking over the mostly empty floor. A couple residents were looking at them and from across the room but nobody dared to get close. Charon had the idle thought that he should have gotten a deathclaw years ago, nobody seemed inclined to bother him when Claws was around. Winthrop caught his eye and Charon glared. The man grumbled and crossed the space slowly, stopping a few yards away.

  
“How is she?”

  
“Hurt,” was all Charon said.

  
“Um…about your pet…” he gestured at Claws. Charon didn’t say anything, just continued patting the deathclaws head.

  
“What about him?” Charon challenged when Winthrop took too long to get to his point.

  
Winthrop cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. “It’s just that it’s making a lot of the residents nervous. I think you should leave it outside.”

  
Charon looked down at Claws and back up at the resident handy-man/Mayor. “No.”

  
“What?”

  
“He’s important to Rachel. He stays with me.” He said and walked away with Claws trotting at his heel. Quinn followed too and they were met by Willow at the top of the stairs. Charon put a hand on the doorknob of The Ninth Circle and glanced at the ghouls behind him.

  
“You two stay out here.” he told them grimly, using his key to open the door. He was suddenly glad he had kept it.

  
They didn’t argue and he and Claws entered the bar he’d been trapped in for the last seventy miserable years of his life.

Ahzrukhal wasn’t in the bar but Charon hadn’t expected him to be. Instead he went straight to the sleazy bartender’s bedroom door and pounded on it. Charon stepped back and crossed his arms menacingly as the swearing ghoul flung open the door.

  
Ahzrukhal smirked at Charon when he saw who it was, “ _Charon_ , come back for a visit?”  
Charon punched him square in the jaw, the impact sending his former employer sprawling onto the dirty floor. Ahzrukhal swore and rubbed his cracked jaw, spiting blood on the floor. “Careful boy, I see your pretty little female isn’t with you. I heard you lost her…”

  
Charon Advanced, he grabbed a fist full of Ahzrukhal’s shirt and slammed the man against the wall.

  
“She was taken from me.” he snarled close to the smaller ghoul’s face. “But I have her _back_ now. Found her in a hole in the ground out in the trenches. Funny how people can be right under our noses.”

  
Ahzrukhal went pale and the cock sure grin melted from his face. Charon shoved him harder against the wall with a hand around his throat. He squeezed and Ahzrukhal wheezed a little harder while he tried to talk is way out of his impending death. “You’ve got it all wrong. I didn’t hurt her.”

  
“I never said she was hurt.” he countered darkly, squeezing harder. Not enough to cut off his former employers airway completely but enough so that the vicious man knew who held the power now. Charon turned his head and gave a short whistle, enjoying the whimper Ahzrukhal made when Claw’s four foot and eight inch form slid out from behind the bar where he’d been sniffing around.

  
“Claws, heel.” The deathclaw immediately fell into place next to Charon. “A few days ago I watched him devour three Talon Company mercs in half an hour. He’d even been hurt at the time, lost one eye. Imagine what he could do _now_ , if I told him he could hunt you.”

  
The cold predatory grin that split Charon’s lips was enough to make Ahzrukhal wet himself.

  
“I know what _you did to her_ ,” Charon’s voice was quiet and matched his frigid eyes. “And I know what _you let others do too her._ ”

  
He didn’t actually know but he suspected from what he’d picked out of Rachel’s drug hazed babble and the bruising he’d seen on her pale skin. Ahzrukhal started to stammer but Charon squeezed his neck harder, crushing the smaller ghoul’s windpipe.

  
With his other hand Charon patted him down, looking for Ahzrukhal’s pistol. He found what he was looking for in the inside pocket of his dirty jacket, the same pocket he’d kept a pistol in for as long as Charon had been with him.

  
It wasn’t the beat up silenced .22 he’d been expecting though, the familiar ornate 9mm made his eyebrows shoot up and his fury resurface all over again.

  
“I told you a long time ago it was a bad idea to keep trophies.” he looked from Rachel’s pistol to Ahzrukhal, the ghoul’s lips where starting to turn blue has he struggled to breath. Charon dropped him and thought about leaving him there to suffocate slowly but he didn’t want to risk the man surviving somehow. Leaving without killing him was not a mistake Charon was going to make twice.

  
There was also a part of him that felt bad that Rachel wasn’t here to take part in the revenge. She had as much a reason as he did to kill the gasping man on the floor.

Claws was creeping forward, attracted by the blood coating Ahzrukhal’s teeth and the scent of fear rolling off of him.

  
“Back off.” Charon growled and Claws ducked his head, stepping back obediently.

  
Ahzrukhal coughed blood onto the marble floor and Charon weighed the gun in his hand, he’d dreamt of this moment for years and wanted to savor it.

  
The ghouls eyes started to dull and Charon finally leveled the gun at his head, pulling the trigger before he missed his chance. Gore painted the wall beautifully behind the corpse and Charon took a long moment to appreciate his work.

  
The body twitched and Charon aimed the gun again instinctively but he relaxed when he saw Claws tug Ahzrukhal’s leg again.

  
“No.” he sighed, almost apologetic. “Rachel wants people to accept you. You covered in gore while you eat a resident will just piss people off.”

  
There were voices outside the door and Charon turned, snapping his fingers so Claw would follow instead of chewing on the corpse anyway.

  
He opened the door and was met with a dozen angry faces. Those faces all turned to fear when they saw exactly who it was standing in the doorway and most of them backed off. Except for Winthrop that is. The handy man glanced around Charon and he scowled harder.

  
“What the hell Charon! Who’s all that blood from?” he demanded, getting startled looks form the growing crowd. The word _blood_ was whispered a half a dozen times by the gawkers.

  
Charon crossed his arms and glared back.  
Winthrop sighed, still angry but he’d always figured somebody would do Ahzrukhal in eventually. “Why’d you wait this long?”

  
Another long pause and he saw Charon glance down towards The Chop Shop before hissing, “You know why.”

  
Winthrop swore and put his hand on the back of his neck, embarrassed for asking a stupid question like an asshole. He did know why of course. He had been surprised Charon had let the man live the first time and if Charon thought Ahzrukhal had been the one to kidnap the little smoothskin he trusted the big ghouls judgment. Charon was too good of an assassin to mistake her kidnaper’s identity.

  
“I don’t suppose you’re going to clean that up?” he asked at last.

  
“No.” Charon rumbled. “Not unless you want the deathclaw to eat him.” he offered, pushing the doors open enough for everyone to see the young deathclaw standing obediently at his heel.

  
The ghouls gathered around him made frightened noises and backed away. A few of them actually fled. Even Winthrop stepped back, grumbling about having too many things to do than to deal with all this crazy shit.

  
“Yeah, about that.” Winthrop eyed the animal licking blood from Charon’s boot. “I really don’t think having a deathclaw in Underworld is the best idea. What if it attacks?”

  
“If he attacks I’ll put him down myself!” Charon snarled angrily, leaving the Ninth Circle and crossing to the stairs. People got the out of his way fast but Winthrop trailed behind with Quinn and Willow.

  
“Charon-“

  
“No! Claws stays with me.”

  
Winthrop stopped and shook his head. He wasn’t going to win the argument and he knew it. “Fine, but if he attacks anyone you better put the beast down.” he warned, pulling a wrench from his belt and heading back to the vent he’d been working on before the gunfire.

  
Charon leaned against the wall in between the two doors leading inside The Chop Shop, settling in to wait for Barrows to allow him back inside. The deathclaw lay on the floor next to his boots and went to sleep, dutifully ignoring the stairs of the curious Underworld residents like his master was.

  
Claw looked up at him after a while and groaned pitifully. Charon blinked, pulled from the trance he’d settled into and cocked an eyebrow. “What do you want?”

  
Someone politely cleared their throat and he looked up to see Carol standing infront of them with her hands clasped infront of her. She was smiling at him with concerned eyes and he shifted uncomfortably. Behind her Greta glared but he ignored the other, sour, woman.

  
“What?” he asked again and winced, it had sounded a lot harsher then he’d intended it too. Carol had been nothing but kind to him.   
She ignored his tone and glanced shyly at the deathclaw. “I think…he may have to go out.” she suggested.

  
Charon blinked again and looked down at Claws and then to the door of The Chop Shop.

  
“I- I could take him if you like?” she asked hopefully. Charon started to shake his head.   
“I don’t know about that…He doesn’t know you Carol, if something where to happen-“

  
He stumbled for the words to decline without hurting her feelings but stopped short when she leaned forward and stretched out her hand to Claws. The deathclaw delicately sniffed her hand and gurgled, licking her fingers before nuzzling his head into the woman’s palm. She chuckled and sunk to her knees, letting Claws lick her face while she rubbed both sides of his scaly head.

  
Charon had to close his gaping mouth; behind her Greta was also wide eyed with shock. Charon had always though that while Carol was a sweet woman she was timid outside the duties of her hotel.

  
Now though, now he knew he’d never misjudged a woman so thoroughly. Apparently Carol had _giant brass balls._

  
“Carol!” Winthrop’s voice lashed out along with the sound of running feet. “Charon! You promised if it attacked you would fucking shoot it!”

  
Carol stood and spun with her fists on her hips to face the angry man. The disapproving scowl on her usually gentle face was especially unsettling.

  
“ _Jonathan Winthrop_!” she snapped like a mother who’d caught her child doing something horrible. He tone made everyone in earshot freeze. “Stop your shouting right this instance. This little fellow wouldn’t hurt a hair on anyone’s head without Charon’s say so. Charon is a good boy! He wouldn’t bring anything harmful into Underworld and you should know that!”

  
“You don’t know that he wasn’t ordered to kill us all by that smoothskin!” he snapped and immediately regretted his words.

Charon growled surging forward but Carol stepped between them.

  
She was angry and it was awe inspiring.

  
“ _Jonathan_! How dare you talk about such a nice girl like that!” she scolded furiously,“Claws is a sweet thing, looks can be deceiving and we both know that! I know you had dogs before the war just like I did!”

  
“ _Carol_!” Winthrop almost whined, shifting uncomfortably under her snapping gaze. “That is not a _dog…_ it’s a _deathclaw_.”

  
“It’s an animal who belongs to a breed with a bad reputation just like my Pit Bulls and you’re Dobermans. There are traders with Yao Guai who are as nice as can be and Claws is no different.” she chided, pointing her finger at him. Winthrop looked at Claws, who instead of defending his people had decided to hide behind Carol’s skirt. Charon wondered not for the first time if Claws was smarter than he got credit for.

  
Carol turned to Claws and patted her thigh gently, making a few kissy noises. “Come along baby, I’ll take you outside. It’s been ages since I’ve seen the sun.”

  
Claws looked at Charon and the ghoul grunted, “Protect her while you’re out there or I’ll skin you.”

  
Claws yipped happily and skittered after Carol who’d already started towards the gates of Underworld.

  
Charon lifted an eyebrow at the startled Winthrop and asked “Jonathan?”

  
“Fuck off.” he growled and disappeared again.

 

* * *

  
The room was way too bright when Rachel’s eyes finally fluttered open and she squinted against the harshness of it. The familiar smell of leather and gunpowder got her attention through the pulsing in her head and after a moment she turned her face slowly towards Charon.

  
Rachel tried to blink the sleep from her eyes as she looked her body guard over. His eyes were closed and his head was tipped forward so his chin rested on his armored chest. One hand was resting on his thigh.

The other hand was wrapped around her fingers, the size difference was almost laughable.

  
Rachel was still drowsy and she was sore but a smile tugged the corners of her lips. Charon looked so peaceful in that moment that she just couldn’t help find pleasure in his peace. Rachel shifted slightly and reached stiffly for the ragged hand covering hers. She squeezed his fingers and those pale blue eyes appeared from behind his heavy lids.

  
Charon’s eyes widened when he saw her looking up at him and he pitched forward, crushing his lips to hers. Rachel gasped in surprised and tried to kiss him back but her movements were sluggish compared to his.

  
Charon must have sensed her struggling because he eased up and used his free hand to cradle the back of her head. Charon gave her another solid kiss and then he rested his forehead against hers.

  
“Christ Rachel..” he breathed, cupping her cheek. “I am so sorry.”

  
“Don’t be.” she whispered back, pressing her cheek into his big hand, “You found me.”

  
Charon swallowed thickly before easing back into his chair, taking her hand in his. “Not soon enough. How do you feel?”

  
“Sore, dizzy. Do we have any water or- feral ghouls?” she asked, looking towards the two glowing ones on the other side of a glass window. Stiffening Rachel instinctively felt for her missing weapons and glanced around the room. “Where are we?”

  
Charon tightened his hold on her hand reassuringly. “We are in Underworld. Those ferals are locked up. I promise.” He picked a bottle of purified water up off the floor and helped her sit up so she could drink it.

Charon saw her wince and started to turn towards the door.

  
“I will get Dr. Barrows, you are in pain.”

  
Rachel caught his belt as he tried to move away and shook her head, “No, I don’t want you to go. I’ll be okay till he comes back. _Please Charon_.”

  
Charon looked conflicted for a minute and she tugged his belt insistently. He growled and caught her hand, sitting back down before she saw the bulge in his pants. This was not the time for that conversation; she was hurt and probably traumatized.

  
Besides he hadn’t had to deal with feelings and urges in two hundred years. He was sure he remembered what to do but sex was the last thing either of them needed to be thinking about right now.

  
“Are you _sure_?” he asked. “He won’t be back for a few hours. It’s only around three in the morning.”

  
“How long have I been out?” she asked, surprised.

  
“Almost twenty-four hours. I brought you straight to Barrows after I found you.”

  
“Did you…” she started to ask but she seemed to be having trouble deciding how to ask. “Is Ahzrukhal…”

  
“Yes.” Charon assured her, his eyes flashing angry for a split second. “I couldn’t wait for you to wake up. He needed to be dealt with. Is that alright?”

  
Rachel nodded, not sure how she felt about it. “How did you do it?”

  
“I beat him and then I blew off his head. I used your pistol. It’s on top of your cloths when you’re ready.”

  
Rachel smiled up at him sleepily. “Thank you.”

  
“Anything for you.” the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. The blush that colored her cheeks made his heartbeat quicken.

  
“Charon…You’ve saved my life more than I deserve. I know that technically you have too but… thank you. And thank you for finding me so fast. It was hell.”

  
“Barrows told me not to let you walk around if you woke up but he wouldn’t tell me the extent of your injuries.” Charon told her quietly. “I wish I could tell you what kind of shape you’re in.”

  
Rachel yawned as she waved a hand, “Its fine. I’ll talk to him in the morning.”

  
“You should rest. Is there anything I can do to help you go back to sleep?” He asked, she was exhausted but he knew her well enough to know that usually exhaustion wasn’t enough. He’d never had an employer with worse sleeping patterns than Rachel did.

  
Rachel slowly nodded and shifted herself to the far edge of the bed.

  
“Would you mind…I mean you don’t have too, but could you lay next me?” She bit her lower lip shyly and looked up at him. Charon forced himself to relax and wondered if she knew just how attractive she was without trying. He was willing to bet that she didn’t.

The ghoul stood, taking a moment to unbuckle his upper armor so she would be more comfortable next to him.

  
Rachel watched him stand over her in that tight black T-shirt and they both looked away when their eyes met. Charon hesitated for a second longer, kicking himself for acting like a skittish fucking teenager, and then slid in next to her. Charon relaxed when he heard her breath a content sigh and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Rachel turned into him and laid her head on his barreled chest.

  
Charon was surprised when she was asleep after only a few minutes. He himself didn’t go to sleep so immediately though. Instead he kept watch. Mostly he watched his sleeping smoothskin though and somewhere around dawn her face was the last thing in his mind before he drifted off as well.

 

* * *

  
Dr. Barrows had had his coffee that morning while he had assured Carol that Rachel would recover. Coffee and talking to Carol in the morning was normal. It was part of a routine he had had for the last fifty years and it was one he liked.

  
The deathclaw sleeping peacefully behind the counter was new and unsettling but Carol had just chuckled when he’d said as much. The beast had only stirred long enough to look Barrows over and tuck its snout back into the teddy bear wedged under its arm.

  
Greta had glared at the beast a few times but she glared at everyone and Carol was her usual sunny self.

  
The deathclaw however wasn’t nearly as unsettling as the sight of the smoothskin wrapped lovingly in Charon’s arms.

  
Badass, stone cold Charon could always be trusted to be stone cold and badass. At least that’s what Barrows had though. _This was probably a sign of the second coming of the apocalypse._

  
Charon hadn’t stirred at all when the door had opened and it spoke louder than anything as to how tired the old bouncer was. Barrows noted that the big ghoul’s armor and shotgun were both laying in the chair next to the bed _. Yeah, the second coming is definitely on its way_.

  
Barrow had only felt uncomfortable a few times since the war and never in _his infirmary_. Now he found himself easing back out of the room. He tried to tell himself it was because his patient needed her rest and not because he felt like he was peeping into a couple’s bedroom.

  
Barrow’s bumped into Nurse Graves on his way out and when she gave him a questioning look he’d nodded towards the still cracked door and stepped aside, whispering to his nurse. “See for yourself.”

  
She poked her head into the room and went wide eyed, backing out as quickly as Barrows had.

  
“I know I haven’t been here as long as he has…” she started, looking up at her boss. “But I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without his armor on.”

  
Barrows shook his head. “Neither have I and I’ve been in Underworld since it was founded.”

  
“I…” she started, flustered. “Given how exhausted they both are… I think we should let them sleep.”

  
Barrows looked from his nurse to the door of his clinic, torn. Nurse Graves smiled and patted his arm. “Come on, I think you deserve a morning off. You haven’t taken a single day to yourself in over fifty years and today you don’t have an excuse not to.”

 


	30. Chapter 30

  
When Rachel woke up again she felt both better and worse at the same time. There was a lot less fog in her head but her damaged area’s hurt like hell. The first thing she’d do when she saw the doctor would be to ask what he’d had to do to fix her up.

  
Charon was still sleeping but his arm tightened around her when he sensed her movement. Rachel smiled gently and nuzzled his chest through the thin black fabric of his shirt. The ghoul shifted and she felt him press what was left of his nose into her hair.

  
“Charon?” she asked softly, “You awake?”

  
“Mhmm,” he sighed into her hair and Rachel moved gently, sliding up onto his chest instead of cuddling against his ribs. Charon wrapped both arms around her and she tucked her head under his chin. She wasn’t tired anymore but she didn’t have any driving need to get out of bed either.

  
This was the first time she’d felt truly safe in longer then she could remember. She was safe and it was because Charon was there with her.

  
“Charon…I…I want you to know that I feel things for you.” Rachel whispered to him when she was absolutely sure he was sleeping soundly again. “I’m not the kind of girl that has these sorts of feelings. I don’t have boyfriends or long term lovers. Hell I get spooked if my one night stand comes looking for me the next day. I do have feelings though, they are confusing and I don’t know exactly how to describe them but they’re there…and they’re for you, okay?”

  
Rachel tipped her head enough to kiss the underside of his chin and Charon squeezed her in his sleep. The ghoul made a pleasant noise and she smiled. Charon’s eye lids slid open half an hour later and he looked down at her sleepily. When he realized he was holding his employer to his chest like she was damn a teddy bear he tried to let go of her but Rachel twisted her fingers into his shirt and shook her head.

  
“No, I like where I am.” she reassured him.

“Nothing bad will ever happen as long as I’m right here.”

  
She felt him slowly relax under her and he resettled his arms around her slim frame again. “I am glad you know where you are safest. How do you feel now?”

  
Rachel tipped up one corner of her mouth in a rye smirk. “I wouldn’t say no to some Med-X.”

  
Charon nodded once and kissed her boldly, delighted when the little smoothskin in his arms kissed him back. “I will go get doctor Barrows. Promise me you’ll be here when I get back?”

  
Rachel nodded, “I’ll do my best. Hand me my gun though, okay?”

  
Charon carefully shifted out from under her and handed over Maria, glad Rachel was taking precautions. He wouldn’t be gone long but recent events had made him nervous.

  
He buckled his armor back into place and picked up his shot gun with a speed that came with years of experience while she watched from her bed. He leaned down to give her another kiss, some strange but joyous emotion filling his chest when she eagerly accepted his offered lips.

  
“I will be right back.” He assured her. “If anyone comes in here without me shoot them.”

  
“Shoot them?”

  
“Yes, shoot them. If they don’t mean you any harm Barrows can patch them up when he gets here.”

  
Rachel laughed and grinned up at him.

“Alright, I promise.”

  
Charon left and Rachel settled back against the pillows. She checked over her gun, making sure it was loaded and ready to fire.

The glowing ones hacked and grumbled in their enclosure and Rachel heard people moving around outside the door.

  
The chatter of the people who lived here and the sounds of footsteps seemed to echo in the quiet medical room. That had to be the residents of Underworld. Nobody was after her anymore. Nobody here wanted her dead…or worse.

  
Rachel breath got a little faster and she gripped the gun in her hands tightly, trying to calm herself. She was being irrational and she knew that. Charon was one good scream away. She was safe here.

  
Right?

  
Outside the room a ghoul started to cough loudly and she drew her knees up to her chest, her heart racing. Rachel leaned her forehead against her knees and tried to take a few long deep breaths to calm herself out of the panic attack building inside of her.

 

* * *

 

Doctor Barrow’s sipped his forth cup of coffee with nurse Graves sitting across the table in Carol’s Place. Carol was laughing, something he’d heard the woman do much more of this morning with the young deathclaw to entertain her.

  
Carol tossed the animal a snack cake and chucked when he snapped it out of the air. “There’s a good boy.” she cooed.

  
“You’re going to spoil him Carol.” a deep voice rasped and Barrows saw Charon standing in the open doorway with his ever present scowl. He looked much more normal armored and scowling at them all.

  
The big ghoul locked his eyes on the doctor and jerked his head towards the infirmary. “She needs med-X.”

  
Barrows got out of his seat leaving a pile of caps on the table to cover the drinks both he and his nurse had had over the course of the morning. Carol smiled ever so innocently at Charon. “I am just giving him a little love.” her smile widened but she never lost that look of complete innocence. “How did you sleep dear?”

Nurse Graves let a giggle slip and Charon lifted one inquiring eyebrow. “Fine?”

  
There was no way anyone would have been able to enter the clinic without him waking immediately but the way Carol and Graves were both looking at him was all too knowing.

  
Barrow cleared his throat and sent a halfhearted glare and the women. Of course they’d been gossiping about the big mercenary and the little smoothskin all morning but he wasn’t sure Charon would appreciate their sudden interest in his personal life. “Knock it off.”

  
Barrows left and Charon followed with a last glance over his shoulder at the giggling women. “It’s early afternoon,” Charon commented slowly. He’d glanced at Carol’s wall clock and the time had surprised him.

“You and Grave don’t usually wait this long to start your work.”

  
Barrows shook his head, knowing what Charon was trying to ask without asking. “Nurse Grave and I decided a morning off wouldn’t hurt.” He told Charon as they walked. Barrows shot him a sideways glance, unable to resist poking the bigger ghoul. “Especially since you and that little smoothskin looked so peaceful tangled up together.”

  
If Charon’s remaining skin wasn’t already red it would have turned it. “I can’t believe the door opened and I didn’t wake up.” he growled.

  
Barrows shrugged, reaching for the clinic door. “You exhausted yourself searching for her and you knew you were in a reasonably safe area. I’m sure if you were anywhere else you would have blown my head off.”

  
Charon cracked a rare smirk, “Nice of you to say I’m not going soft.”

  
Barrow nodded and stopped short just inside the door. Charon was right behind him and gave Rachel an approving look as she lowered the gun pointed at the people who’d entered.

  
“This is the Doctor?” she asked softly, clutching her weapon.

  
Barrow went to his desk and pulled open a drawer as Charon returned to the woman who managed to cause him so much commotion in the short amount of time he’d known her.

  
“Yes, this is Doctor Barrows. His Nurse should be arriving shortly, are you alright?” he asked, glancing at her watery eyes and the slight trembling in her hands.

  
“I’m fine.” She lied but Charon didn’t buy it for a second.

  
Dr. Barrow came over with Med-X in one hand and offered his other to her. She shook it while he talked. “You probably suffered a minor panic attack, they are to be expected after the trauma you’ve had.”

  
The doctor gave her the Med-X and glanced at Charon. “I would like to talk to you about you’re condition, you might prefer it to be a private conversation.”

  
Rachel shook her head. “No, whatever it is Charon can hear it. He’ll be the one taking care of me anyway.”

  
Barrow pulled a stool over with his foot and sat down in an effort to be less intimidating. Not that he thought he was striking fear into the girl’s heart. Hell she had a deathclaw and slept curled up on Charon…the girl was either insane or had nerves of steel.

  
Maybe she was both.

  
“Very well.” He glanced at the chart he’d scribbled notes on for her. “First, I cleaned out the drugs in your system and administered a pre-war medicine that flushed the addiction. You did sleep through the withdrawal side effects but you should be aware that you will very likely be more susceptible to addiction in the future. The good news is that you weren’t on them long enough to cause any lasting damage.”

  
Rachel nodded, relived.

  
“Now you’re physical injuries. You had some minor lacerations along you inner walls and there was a lot of bruised tissue. Your pelvic bone was bruised too and you had a few cracked ribs along with she minor cuts and bruises on the rest of you. We applied stimpaks but I am still worried about infection. I want you to stay in bed tonight, just give yourself a chance to heal. Judging from you’re older injuries you know how to take care of wounds.”

  
Rachel subconsciously touched the knotted scar on her shoulder and nodded. Charon took her hand and Barrows sighed, “Finally I want to warn you about mental damage that might present itself later. Like panic attacks, nightmares, insomnia…that sort of thing.

These can be just as dangerous as physical infection. Watch out for sighs of post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s important when these situations occur to keep calm and try to remember that it’s over now. You are safe.”

  
Barrows held her gazed and she tightened her grip on Charon’s hand. “I understand, PTSD sound like a bitch but me and insomnia and nightmares all know each other pretty well. Long walks in the wasteland can show you some pretty gruesome stuff.”

  
Barrow nodded and wrote something on his clipboard. “If you’d like I can give you something to help you sleep and for the nightmares you can talk to Nurse Graves. Sometimes talking through past events can ease them in our minds. Graves would be more than happy to talk.”

  
Rachel gave him a crooked smile, “Not you?”

  
“Absolutely not, Talk to Graves if you have to talk.” he told his patient firmly.

  
Rachel bit back a small chuckle. “Okay but I probably won’t and I don’t need sleeping pills either. I… I consider my poor sleeping habits a punishment for the things I’ve done.”

  
Charon frowned silently and met the Doctors eyes. It became clear that Rachel wasn’t going to elaborate but Charon made a mental note to ask Barrows for the sleeping pills later. Whatever she’d done, however bad she might think it was…it wasn’t as bad as the things he’d done. She didn’t deserve those haunting dreams and the near constant exhaustion.

  
“I’m going to give you another Stimpak and some Med-X in case you need them. Try to stay in bed as much as possible today and take it easy for the rest of the weak. If you have any problems or questions come find me.”

  
Barrows passed the drugs to Charon and applied a stimpak to her upper thigh before he left again. Charon pocketed the Med-X and returned to his chair next to her bed.

  
“Charon?”

  
“Hmm?”

  
Rachel fiddled with her blanket, not looking at him. “Don’t think you have to sit here with me. If you want to go wander you can. I have my gun, I’ll be alright.”

  
Charon shook his head even as she talked. “No, I’d rather sit here with you. You’re more interesting than most other the assholes here combined.”

  
“Only most?”

  
“There are a couple of them who have managed to surprise me in the past few days.” he told her vaguely.

  
Rachel leaned over and hauled the chair with her things stacked on it closer, looking it over. She was missing the caps that had been in her pockets along with her meds and ammo. Her hunting rifle was missing too and she scowled.

  
“Did you see my gun?”

  
“I didn’t find it in the bunker but I wasn’t looking for it either. I’ll go check for it later if you like.”

  
Rachel nodded slowly. “If you don’t mind but it’s probably gone.” she growled and ran a hand through her hair.

  
“Probably,” he agreed.

  
“Fuck!” Rachel’s head jerked up as she thought of something else. “Charon where’s my pack?”

  
Startled he grabbed it, hefting it onto the bed for her, “what?”

  
She flipped it open and drug through it, letting out a relived breath when she found her First Recon beret. “For a second I thought I’d had it in my pocket. I’m so glad I still have it!”

  
Charon nodded and then his own eyes widened as he looked over her ripped pants and tattered shirt sitting on the chair.

“Rachel?” he asked, fear shooting up his spine.

  
She looked up, concerned by his expression. “Yes?”

  
“I didn’t find your under garments…”

  
“I noticed,” she grumbled. “Perverted bastards. I’ll see if Tulip has more later, that’s not a big issue.”

  
“That isn’t but... Rachel where’s my contract!” he asked, afraid of the answer.

  
Rachel paled for a second but then she relaxed, leaning back her head and thanking whatever gods might be listening at the moment. “Safe, thank god I moved it!”

  
“Where is it? As my employer I have no right to ask you that but please, for my own peace of mind,” he was almost pleading with her. The fear in his veins leeching away too slowly for him to be reassured by just her words.

  
“It’s in Claws’ collar, the buckle I used for it has a secret compartment inside.” Rachel took his hand and pressed her forehead to his scarred fingers. “I figured the safest place for it was around a deathclaws neck.”

  
Charon pulled her into a tight embrace, relief overwhelming him for a moment. “That’s my clever smoothskin.”

  
Rachel giggled, it was lighter than before. Every minute with him was helping her bury the past few days of torture. “I do my best, hey Charon do you have any food?”

  
“No but I’ll get you something.”

  
He paused long enough to tell her to keep her gun in hand before he left quickly.

Rachel obeyed even though she didn’t need to be told. With Charon gone the clinic was quiet.

  
Too quiet.

  
The distant voices and the footsteps passing the door sped her pulse up like it had the last time Charon had left and she grit her teeth.

  
“Calm down…” she whispered to herself slowly, it was an exercise she’d learned years ago to combat panic attacks. “You’re in Underworld, you’re safe. Charon will be back any minute, count the seconds. One…two…”

* * *

 

Charon returned as fast as he could with various boxes of food tucked in his arms.

Carol had offered to make noodles or maybe a bit of meat but Charon didn’t want to wait and wasn’t sure what Rachel would be able to stomach right now.

  
He opened the clinic door and his heart stuttered when his eyes fell on Rachel empty bed. “Rachel?!”

  
Movement sounded on the other side of the bed and two wide golden eyes peeked up over the edge of the mattress along with the barrel of her gun. Charon’s heart started back up again and he dumped the food on the bed while Rachel covered the door with the barest of a tremble in her hands.

  
The big ghoul stepped around the edge of the bed and crouch down so he was eye level with her. This, he assumed, was exactly what Dr. Barrows had been talking about.

  
“Hey,” he said softly and she glanced at him quickly. “Ray…what are you doing?”

  
“1,278…1,279…”

  
“Rachel…” Charon gently pried the gun from her hands and checked it. Fully loaded and the safety was off. That a girl.“Come on smoothskin,” he took ahold of her shoulders and tried to get her to stand up but the animalistic warning growl made him pause.

She sounded like an animal he’d know before the war…a…a cat. That was it. She sounded like an angry cat.

  
Charon slid his hands up her arms, along her neck and up until his big hands cupped her ears, blocking out any sounds she might be focused on. Rachel blinked a few times, confused but then awareness lit her eyes.

Charon turned her head and she blinked.

  
“Charon…?”

  
He nodded, not sure how to proceed. Rachel carefully looked around the room and let out a long breath, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she came back to herself.

  
Rachel bit her lower lip and looked up at him because even crouched down he was still three or four inches taller than she was.

  
“I…I…Was just…covering the door?… apparently?” Rachel shifted her eyes away and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. Charon let go of her face and she looked down. He thought about going to get the doctor but he didn’t want to leave her alone again. Not if he was going to come back to find her barricading the clinic.

  
“You are supposed to be in bed.” he told her instead, trying to be gentle and stern at the same time.

  
Rachel nodded, still embarrassed that she’d lost control of herself. “Okay.”

  
Charon helped her back into bed and covered her up. “Are you alright? Can you tell me what just happened?”

  
“I…I don’t know exactly.” Rachel wasn’t looking at him but she did keep talking. “You left and I was fine. But then I could hear the people outside and footsteps and it was like I was back in there. Only this time I wasn’t drugged or chained up. I had to protect myself so I set up a perimeter, the room went all dark and I got down because they were coming.”

  
Charon sat on the bed next to her as her breath started to get rapid again and pulled her against him. He had one of her ears pressed against his chest and his hand over the other. “It’s alright smoothskin. You’re safe with me right?”

  
She gave a small nod against his chest.

  
“Well I’m right here. And I will never let anything bad happen to you.”

  
Rachel relaxed slowly while Charon held onto her. He was a rock, a boulder. Charon was a grounding force for her. He kept her in the present. “Am I going to go crazy?”

  
“No.” he told firmly, “I’ve seen something like this before. Before the bombs. I think you are having post-traumatic stress flashbacks. I saw people get them when I served in the war.”

  
“How do I get rid of them?” she asked quietly.

  
“I do not know. Time maybe?” Charon suggested. “You are an incredibly strong person and this experience will fade.”

  
“I hope so, I really don’t need to be reliving anything more than I already do. I’m glad you’re here. I- oh my god! Charon where’s Claws? He was hurt and-“

  
Charon slid a hand over her mouth to silence her with a chuckle rumbling deep in his chest. “He is fine. Although you may have some competition for his affections. He’s been attached to Carol’s hip since yesterday afternoon.”

  
“Wait, wait, wait! Carol?...Gobert’s Carol?”

  
“Gobert?”

  
“That’s what I’ve been calling Gob in my head.”

  
He cocked an eyebrow. “What do you call me in your head?”

  
A blush warmed her cheekbones. “Nothing, what? Don’t worry about it. So Carol?”

  
“Rachel,” He growled, glad that she was acting more like herself.

  
“Char-bear.” She giggled, grinning with her thumb nail between her teeth.

  
The ghoul froze and Rachel’s blush got brighter as she tried not to giggle like an idiot. She was feeling very up and down right now. Probably a reaction to all the Med-X. “I can’t control what my brain does!”

  
“But… _Char-bear_?”

  
“Yes. I can’t even help it at this point, I’ll probably slip and start saying it out loud soon. Now, why does Carol have Claws?”

  
Charon explained everything to her, including Winthrop’s first name and the spitfire spirit that was hiding inside Carol. By the time he was finished Rachel was laughing so hard tears were staining her cheeks and she was gasping for breath.

Charon grinned at her, thrilled and delighted that he’d made her laugh like that.

  
There was a knock on the door and Rachel immediately stiffened though Charon could tell she was fighting it. He picked up his gun calmly and stood before he told whoever it was to come in. The door opened and Claws burst in, locating Rachel immediately.

  
He darted past Charon and jumped onto the bed, licking Rachel’s skin everywhere he could find it. He kept his long claws curled and out of the way but other than that he was all over her. Charon finally got a hold of his collar and hauled him back. It took a lot more effort than he thought it would, Claws was getting stronger.

  
Carol set a bowl of something that smelled incredibly good on the table next to Rachel’s bed and smiled at her. “I thought you could use something hot to eat. How are you feeling dear?”

  
“Better,” Rachel assured the kind woman, still rubbing Claws’ face while Charon kept him from crushing her. “Thank you for looking after my boy.”

  
“My pleasure dear, anytime you need a babysitter you be sure to let me know. He’s a sweat heart.” she smiled warmly and after a few more pleasantries’ she left, leaving Rachel’s odd little family to celebrate her safe return.


	31. Chapter 31

  
Rachel stayed in bed like she’d been told too.

  
At first.

  
After three days her own gypsy nature started to outweigh the good doctor’s orders. Charon was attentive to her though and with him there to help chase away the boredom Rachel was still a few notches above completely miserable.

  
As long as he was with her she was fine. On those few occasions he left her long she was less fine. Still the little time that had passed was already helping to ease her panic. When he left now she got much less panicked and more twitchy.

  
Charon was cleaning his gun in the seat next to her while she worked on his leather armor on day five. That’s when Quinn came into the clinic. He waved to Rachel and she smiled, she’d met the man yesterday and her gut told her that he was good people.

  
“Charon, we have some raiders that moved into the metro. I could use some reliable back up to clean them out.” Quinn was asking Charon even though his eyes flicked to Rachel.

  
“Take Willow.” Charon told him without a second of hesitation.

  
“If I did we would still need someone to guard out front.” Quinn pointed out, hooking his thumbs into his belt loops.

  
Rachel picked up Maria in a show of good faith and smiled at her ghoul. “Go on Charon, I’m a lot better than I was three days ago.” She lifted the armor on her lap with the rag still on the metal plate she’d been buffing. “I’ll work on my own until you get back. Besides it’s been days since you killed something, you must be getting a little restless sittin’ in this clinic with me all the time.”

  
“I stood in the Ninth Circle for over seventy years smoothskin.” He told her. “And the scenery this time is an imminence improvement.”

  
Rachel felt some heat color her cheeks and she shooed him with her hand. “Go on, I have my gun and Dr. Barrows will be in and out all day. Go kill some raiders and then come tell me all about it. I can live dangerously through you until you two let me go out again.”

  
Charon hesitated but Rachel could tell he wanted to go. Hell with the amount of sexual tension that had built up between them she wanted him to go. Rachel even seriously considered sneaking out to join them. She was going to have to do something pretty soon to quiet her lust or she was going to be more likely to go feral than the ghouls around her.

  
“Fine, shoot anyone you don’t know who comes in here.” He told her, taking his armor from her lap. His fingers brushed her thigh in the process and electricity shot straight her core. Rachel gritted her teeth in an effort to hide the effect he had on her and waved as the men left, telling them to be careful.

  
It was a relief when they were out of the room.

  
Once the sound of Charon’s heavy boots faded she sat there quietly for a minute just listening. She heard footsteps and ghouls but she didn’t feel any panic swelling up.

  
That was good.

  
It meant she hadn’t lied when she told him she was better.

  
Pleased with herself Rachel set to work cleaning Maria. When the 9mm was sparkling she dutifully picked up her armor but unfortunately it didn’t need work. Since Charon hadn’t found her original armor in the bunker when he’d gone to look for her stuff this suit was new. Tulip had done wonders on it already.

  
Charon hadn’t found her rifle either and that had pissed her off. He had found her boots, probably they were too small for the pricks picking over the rest of her stuff.

  
Now, with nothing to do Rachel growled and ran her hand through her greasy hair, surprised at the length it had gotten. Maybe Charon would like her to grow it out? It could be something to grab onto, yank on when-   
Rachel stopped her thoughts right there. She needed to remind herself that the ghoul wasn’t interested…for whatever reason. He hadn’t kissed her since the first night here after all and since they were stuck with each other until she found a way to destroy his contract she wasn’t going to pursue him.

She didn’t want him to feel like he had to touch her under the contract. She really didn’t want him to be uncomfortable around her either.

  
Rachel tugged her hair again and had to banish the images the action summoned to her sex deprived brain. Maybe she should go ask Carol if Underworld had anyone who could cut it.

  
After a bad experience a new haircut would be great, new hair new attitude and all that. Besides, long hair was a pain in the ass.

  
She wasn’t ordered to stay bed ridden anymore either, she was just supposed to relax. Charon was the one that looked a little bit panic stricken every time she wanted to go to the bathroom.

  
_Mother hen._

  
So now with the warden off attending to business she could be gone and back again before he came back and had a fit. He would know because her hair would be different and she wouldn’t keep it from him anyway but she’d be back in bed by the time he found out.

  
A little self-maintenance time would be good for her.

  
Rachel tossed off the blankets and swung out of bed, the cold marble under her feet had her scrambling for her socks and cursing herself for not pulling them on first. She switched out her flimsy sleeping shorts for her jeans and laced up her boots before she ran a brush through her hair.

  
The brush didn’t really help.

  
Rachel left her green jacket on the chair since it was always overly warm in Underworld anyway and holstered her gun on her hip. Years on her own made her listen at the door before she pulled it open a few inches and slipped out.

  
A few ghouls looked at her curiously but she didn’t see anyone she recognized. Her first stop was Carol’s Place. Claws greeted her enthusiastically when she came in and Rachel grinned, rubbing him with affection people saved only for beloved pets.

  
Greta looked her over with a fist on her hip. “Are you supposed to be up?”

  
Rachel ducted her head sheepishly. “That depends on who you ask, but Charon’s out with Quinn and I’m ready to be moving around.”

  
Carol poked her head around the corner and grinned. “Oh it’s so good to see your pretty face! How are you feeling dear?”

  
“Honestly? I’m getting a little stir crazy. I need a change of scenery.” Rachel told the women, still petting Claws. “I’m going to have to convince Charon to leave Underworld soon.”

  
Dr. Barrow’s strolled in behind Carol and looked at her. Rachel blushed and shifted behind Claws. “Oh, hello Doctor.”

  
“I’m not sure I like you sneaking around kid,” he chided. “If you want to be up then you should have asked somebody to walk with you.”

  
“I’m not sneaking per say, I just happen to be wandering while Charon is out. Besides, I’m not crippled. I feel fine.” Rachel defended.

  
“Fine?” Barrows asked, tapping his temple with one long finger.

  
Rachel nodded, “Yes, I didn’t panic at all when Charon left.”

  
Barrows looked her over again for a long moment and sighed. “Well I can’t keep you here. Later today I will give you a checkup.” he promised, “If you really are fine I’d be fucking thrilled to get my infirmary back.”

  
Rachel grinned at him sweetly, “Thank you doctor.”

  
Barrows growled and dismissed her with a wave of his hand. The girl chuckled and looked back at Carol “Is there anybody who could cut my hair?”

  
She was directed to Snowflake and the ghoul barber was more than happy to work on her.

  
“I tell ya kid it’s been ages since I had a full head of hair to work with. Ghoul’s don’t exactly promise a lot of repeat business. So what can I do for you?” he asked as he ushered her to sit in an old foldout chair.

  
“It’s just so shaggy right now, can you clean it up? Give me something that fits a badass sniper like me.” she grinned as Claws sniffed around the room. When she’d left Carol’s Place the little deathclaw had chosen to come with her.

  
“You want me to do anything with the color?”

  
Rachel pulled a strand of her red hair out to inspect and shrugged. “Sure, why not? If you want to make it a few shades darker that would be great. Like the color of fresh blood.”

  
Snowflake nodded, setting supplies on the table next to her chair. “Sure thing kid, you tryin’ to get Charon’s blood up?” the ghoul joked.

  
Rachel gave a barked laugh of surprise. “I’m not sure yet, but how do you know what gets his motor runnin’?”

  
Snowflake flashed a gap toothed grin. “I have been in Underworld since before he got here. Big merc like that is gonna take pleasure in what he does. Not enough caps in the world to get me to believe he ain’t the kinda guy that gets a little blood lust.”

  
Rachel just laughed because she couldn’t deny it. Even though she’d never seen it Rachel got the feeling that Snowflake was right.

  
Snowflake was a friendly ghoul and Rachel chatted with him while he worked. Rachel told him about how she came to be with Claws and he caught her up on local gossip.

Apparently there was a rumor that Quinn and Willow were sleeping together and another that Greta was enjoying more than just cigarettes when she went out for her evening smoke break.

  
While Rachel’s new darker hair air dried Snowflake trimmed up the wet locks. When he put his scissors down she pulled out her pouch of caps but he waved his hand. “Not a chance kid, no charge. I told you I haven’t worked on a full head of hair in years. Anytime you wanna cut come see me.”

  
“But you dyed it too. Color isn’t easy to find.” she argued but he was still shaking his head.

  
“I get by, now put those away.”

  
Rachel did, vowing to slip some caps into his pocket later. When her hair was dry he brushed it out and applied a gel to the back.

He held out a cracked mirror and she grinned, it was perfect. The sides and back were maybe an inch long and pixie spiked while her bangs remained long. He had taken off the split ends and angled them to frame her face.

  
“Snowflake! You magnificent bastard, I love it!” She grinned, bouncing in her seat. The ghoul chuckled, embarrassed.

  
“Glad to hear it kid.”

  
“Well I should probably get back before Charon. He'll freak out if I’m not in bed.” She told him as she stood.

  
Snowflake’s eyes widened, “You mean he doesn’t know you’re up here?”

  
“Nope, and I didn’t have any way to leave a note.”

  
“Christ kid, you trying to get us all killed?” he asked and Rachel could tell he wasn’t entirely joking.

  
“Charon will be fine as long as I’m back before he is.” she reassured her new favorite barber as she moved towards the open archway. “Come on Claws, let’s get-“

  
“ _RACHEL_!” her name thundered threw the old marble hall accompanied by the crack of the clinic doors being thrown against the walls.

  
“Too late.” she cursed, jogging to the banister with Claws trying to hide behind her as she moved.

  
“ _What_?” she yelled pleasantly, leaning over the edge of the railing in an attempt to see her big ghoul. He moved into her line of sight and she was pretty sure the exposed muscle she could see paled a few shade when he caught sight of her.

  
“Get fucking back before you fall!” He snarled, “Why the hell aren’t you in bed!”

  
Rachel scowled, even though she understood where his concern was coming from his tone still made her hackles go up.   
“Because I’m not an invalid!” she snapped. “I’m fine. Quit yellin’.”

  
Charon growled and Rachel watched him half run up the stairs. Just to be spiteful she swung one leg over the railing and straddled it. She was sitting comfortably when he reached the landing and his string of curses started all over again when he saw her.

  
“Gods all damned crazy ass fucking woman!” he reached for her but froze when she leaned away over open air. “Rachel…come here,” he growled at her.

  
Rachel growled back, noticing the crowd that had started to gather. Ghouls were poking their heads out of doorways or looking up from their places in the main hall.

Some of them looked amused while others looked closer to terrified.

  
_“No.”_ she told her bodyguard.

  
“Rachel…” he warned.

  
A door opened and Greta looked out into the hall. She gave a bark of laughter and stepped out to watch. “Carol you should come see what’s happening.”

  
Charon glanced her way angrily but he looked back to his smoothskin just as quickly.

  
“Rachel, stop fucking off. You need to be in bed.” he hissed through gritted teeth.

  
Rachel pretended to think about it for half a second and scowled at him. “No. Fuck off. I’m tired of being in bed and I’m not doing anything wrong.”

  
“I think we should ask Barrow to give you something else.” He told her, seething. “You are irrational.”

  
Rachel sucked in a breath and stiffened. The similar gasps from the other two women within earshot told Charon he’d said something very bad.

  
Rachel leaned towards him and for the first time in two hundred years he felt truly afraid for his own safety. “What the fuck did you just say to me?” she asked, her voice cold and quiet.

  
“I did not-“

  
“ _Move_.” she ordered and he did so immediately.

  
Rachel hopped to the floor and drew herself up. “I know myself and I know that I’ve recovered as much as I’m going too. As soon as I find myself a decent weapon we’re leaving.”

  
She left him standing there and jogged down the stairs without so much as looking over her shoulder. Rachel knew she might have over reacted but she was still too irritated to feel bad about that.

  
“Oh dear,” Carol murmured and followed the red head, Claws leading the way.

  
Charon watched Rachel cross the floor and walk into Underworld Outfitters. He made a move to follow but Greta cleared her throat and shook her head. “I would give her some space if I were you.”

  
“She’ll get into trouble.”

  
“Maybe,” the woman agreed, “but she’s pissed and it will be better for both of you if you let her calm down.”

  
“She has no reason to be angry.” Charon growled. “Her medication is doing something to her.”

  
Greta cocked an eyebrow and looked at him as if he were the stupidest person in the world. “She finally feels good enough to be out and about and you insult her intelligence for it? Of course that made her mad. Now really think, before her kidnapping would she taunt you by climbing up on that banister?”

  
Charon’s scowl lessened as he looked over the old railing. _Yes_ , he realized. “She is better,” he said it softly, defeated.

  
Greta nodded. “Against my better judgment I like that little smoothskin. Try to keep her alive without pushing her to do something spiteful. I’d hate for her to get say…killed in Paradise Falls because she was trying to prove herself to you.”

  
Greta went back into Carol’s place and Charon was left to grumble under his breath. His training was telling him to take her anger and follow his employer anyway. His instincts were tell him to take Greta’s advice and leave her be.

  
He compromised and leaned back against the wall so he could keep an eye on the big room. There was only one way in or out of Tulips and he’d be able to spot anyone trying to get in to harm his smoothskin.

 

* * *

 

  
Rachel was muttering curses under her breath while she counted out the last of her caps for a shitty 9mm SMG. It was the best she could afford even with the generous discount Tulip had given her. All the extra parts, weapons and scrap they’d been carrying they’d already sold to pay Doctor Barrows.

  
“I could loan you a few caps if you’d like.” Carol offered. “You could get something a little better.” The woman had been trying to get her to talk about her feelings but she’d given up when Rachel just kept shaking to head.

  
Now the Rachel sighed. “No, thank you though. No, we need to do some scavenging and there are plenty of places here in the city. Since people seem to think the place is still over run with super mutants there has got to be some good places around to pick over.”

  
“Oh sure.” Carol nodded. “You might want to try the Museum of Technology just across the mall or even the closed off places in here.”

  
When Rachel looked up with interest Tulip asked, “You didn’t know there were other areas to this museum did you?”

  
“No, but this is a settlement. Wouldn’t any unused areas be picked clean?”

  
Carol shook her head. “Most humans stay out of Underworld and I believe the only person who goes into that abandoned wing is Winthrop when he’s looking for scrap metal. You might find something worth selling over there, just be careful dear. I know there are quite a few feral ghouls in the section. People go crazy and then their friends don’t have the heart to kill them off so instead they get contained.”

  
“People wouldn’t get mad if I did it?” Rachel probed, not sure how she would feel in a similar situation.

  
“I don’t think so.” Tulip told her. “We all know that once you turn the human part of you dies. Those are just the shells of the people who were once friends.” She explained sadly, “And not many things besides Rad Roaches can get in there so they are starving to death anyway. You would be doing us a favor and them a kindness.”

  
Rachel thought about it, chewing her lower lip. “Alright, I’ll see what I can do.”

 

* * *

  
Charon saw Rachel the second she stepped out of the store. He didn’t move to meet her though. Instead he just watched as she made her way back to the clinic. He hoped that she was going to take a nap but she reemerged a few minutes later and to his horrified surprise she was in her armor and had grenades clipped to her belt along with the guns she had left.

  
His muscles screamed but he held his ground, fighting the contract that said he had to rush to her side. It was more of a relief than he could have imagined when she looked up and her eyes landed on him. Rachel jerked her head towards the door and he moved to her at once.

  
“I didn’t think you would want to leave until the morning.” he commented, trying to sound like he didn’t actually care. He wasn’t fooling anybody.

  
“We have a job,” she told him, strolling for the doors. Tulip had already given her directions.

  
“A job? You were only out of my sight for a few minutes.” he was honestly surprised and Rachel grinned in spite of her attempt to stay mad at him.

  
“A good girl like myself can find work in the strangest places.”

  
Charon chuckled too, the tension between them left over from their fight evaporating. “Smoothskin you are far from a good girl, what’s the job?”

  
Rachel told him the detail and Charon made an effort not to imagine ways to kill the women who’d put her up to this. At least they were still in the building. If something did go horribly wrong the clinic was close and he could think of worst places Rachel might want to scavenge.

  
Cleaning out the local ferals wasn’t something he’d of picked to help her get back on her feet anyway but he understood why the people of Underworld would want a stranger to do it.

  
Hell, there were a few feral ghouls in there that Charon himself had known. He’d watched them deteriorate as they drank away what was left of their sanity in the Ninth Circle. At the time he’d wished he could trade places with them.

  
A couple ghouls who traveled a lot would sit at the table closest to him to have loud conversations about the things they’d done. He’d appreciated that even though he wouldn’t have admitted it at the time.

  
Max and Rory had been there names.   
Rachel led the way around a fast talking ghoul who claimed the Aqua Pura he was selling made his hair grow back. She ignored the mutters as people commented on both her, her relationship with Charon and her pet.

  
Charon was right behind her when she opened the door to the uninhabited wing of the history museum a crack and together they slipped inside silently.

  
It wasn’t long before they were ass deep in hungry man eaters. Rachel fought like she handled hoards like this every day and Charon adored the sight of her grinning while she rained bullets over her enemies.

  
At first he picked them off as fast as he could but after seeing how much fun Rachel was having he started to let up, letting her slaughter to her heart’s desire. He still didn’t let anything get close enough to harm her and with Claws it was a quick fight all things considered.

  
Charon blasted apart a turret on the second floor after they cleared the area below and waved the all clear to his mistress. The two of them found salvage in every room. Things to both sell and replace their stolen supplies.

  
The upper offices had just as many if not more feral ghouls and after the last of them fell Charon had to admit that he had needed this as much as she had. The way she moved against him in her sleep, grinned at him during the day and a thousand other little things she didn’t know she did was making it impossible to ignore his growing affection.

  
The dreams he’d been having weren’t helping his case either.

  
Dreams where he got to feel just how soft her skin was as her nimble fingers worked over his exposed muscle.

  
It was maddening.

  
It was also unrealistic.

  
He’d kissed her both times in moments when she’d been vulnerable and while she still slept next to him he hadn’t done anything intimate since. He didn’t want to take advantage of her again.

  
And how could she accept a rotted out corpse like him anyway.

  
Charon caught the familiar green of a glowing one from the corner of his eye and spun on his heel. He brought his gun up as it charged but the thing stumbled and hesitated looking at him with its head cocked. Its clothes were tattered like the rest of them but a glowing crest shaped scar on the side of its face made Charon curse under his breath.

  
_“Max?_ ”

  
It hacked, twitched and then lunged violently. A smooth arm wrapped around its head and knee clutched it’s waist as Rachel jumped on the things back, cursing loudly.

“For fuck’s sake Charon!”

  
She dropped the gun in her hand and yanked the knife from her boot, slitting Max’s throat with a practiced ease that he was going to ask her about later. Max fell to the floor with a gurgle as green glowing blood sprayed threw the air, splattering both Charon’s chest and Rachel’s arms.

  
It was silent after Max fell and Rachel disentangled herself from his body. Charon watched her dust off her knees and she grinned at him, blood both luminescent green and dark red splattered over her skin.

  
“Impressed?” she drawled with a grin, wiping the blade on her thigh. Charon grabbed her roughly by her forearm and dragged her against his armored chest, kissing her hard. Rachel gave a little yelp of surprise but she grabbed the collar of his leather jacket, pulling herself into his kiss with just as much eagerness.

  
Charon growled into her mouth and roughly dragged her leg up to hook over his hip with one hand while the other slid under her ass. Rachel was more than happy heave herself up and wrap her other leg around him. His hand left her thigh and thrust into her short hair. He gave it a hard yank as he slammed her back against the wall, enjoying the little gasp that rushed past the skin left on his cheek.

  
The bloods smeared together as he touched her and it only fueled them both. Charon’s mouth attacked her throat and she groaned, her nails dragging across the back of his neck. Charon pressed her harder into the wall and recaptured her mouth while Rachel pulled demandingly at the buckles holding his armor in place.

  
Charon felt one buckle come loose and than the other. He shifted enough to give her access to the third running across his chest and snarled when his leg was suddenly yanked out from under him. He crashed to the floor, only just managing to twist enough so that Rachel landed on top on him instead of falling to the bloody floor under him.

  
“The fuck!” he roared and tried to backhand the deathclaw still trying to drag him by his boot across the floor. It was at that moment that they both realized some to the roaring in their ears had actually been the snarling of Claws.

  
“Claws!” Rachel glared at the animal as she sat up. She was still straddling her big ghoul’s waist as she barked. “No! Bad Deathclaw!”

  
He glanced at her and stopped trying to jerk Charon across the floor.

  
“Drop him, now!” Claws growled rebelliously but Rachel glared and he reluctantly dropped Charon’s booted foot. The ghoul swore and inspected his boot for damage.

The leather was half shredded and warm blood was seeping out into the air.

  
“It that blood yours?” Rachel asked anxiously, shifting forward. Charon growled angrily in responce and she scowled, scanning the room. Charon knew she’d though it was a pained growl when she muttered something about radiation and got off of him. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to correct her but he wished she’d where she’d been for just a little longer.

  
Rachel returned with a couple of stimpaks and kneeled next to him. “Let me see it.”

  
“It’s fine smoothskin.”

  
“Charon-“

  
“I’m fine.” he glared at Claws. “No thanks to you asshole!”

  
Rachel glared at her little beast too. “Why do you think he did that?”

  
Charon had an idea why.

  
To test his theory he took Rachel’s wrist and pulled her against his chest, holding her. Claws snarled, snapping his teeth.

  
“Fuck off,” Charon swore at him. “She isn’t in any danger.”

  
Rachel cocked her eyebrow at her deathclaw, getting to her feet. “Well that’s going to get annoying.”

  
She put her hand on Claws to calm him and had a thought as her eyes swept over the blood on the floor and on her skin. “Oh, you said something to that Glowing one…” she trailed off while she looked at him questioningly.

  
“Yeah, I knew him.” Charon told her, answering the question she hadn’t asked.

“Max, he went feral… _oh…_ thirty years ago maybe.”

  
Rachel frowned, “Was he a friend?”

  
“No, I wasn’t permitted friends. But he and his partner Rory used to sit close to me the talk about their time in the wasteland. I know they did it for my benefit. They used to leave half full whisky glassed on the table at closing. I’d knock ‘em back while I cleaned.”

  
Rachel looked around at the bodies in the room. “Do you see the other one, Rory?”

  
Charon shook his head. “He isn’t here. Rory was killed in the wastes about a year before Max went feral. He didn’t take Rory’s death well, got depressed.” Charon shrugged, she had already pieced together the rest.

  
“I’m sorry I killed him.” she said quietly and Charon gave a bark of laughter.

  
“What the fuck would you have done instead? Max used to say he wouldn’t die happy until he had a smoothskin ride him like her life depended on it, I’d say he died happy.”

  
Rachel giggled too, “Well…in that case I’m glad I could help.”

 


	32. Chapter 32

  
“It’s not necessary.” Charon grumbled, searching through the filthy pockets of one of the downed ghouls.

  
“I think it is.” Rachel insisted, hovering close to him. “Dr. Barrows should make sure there isn’t any infection. Do you know how dangerous-“

  
“ _Rachel_.” Charon moaned, finally exasperated with her. “I am well aware of what infection can do. I am also a ghoul. I am resistant to most things and a little radiation will take care of everything else. I am fine.”

  
Rachel glared over at Claws and pointed stiffly out of the room when he tried to inch his way back in. She’d been keeping him well away from them ever since he’d bitten Charon. Claws ducked his head and backed out, eyeing Rachel miserably with his good eye. He looked like the poster child for abused deathclaws.

  
Charon sighed, dragging a ragged hand down his face. “He was trying to protect you.”

  
“He bit you!” Rachel growled. “What if he attacks again? Jesus I should put him down right now!”

  
“No you shouldn’t.” Charon shook his head, ignoring the way the pain in her voice was making his own heart twist. “If he wanted to hurt me you’d probably be dragging my half dead corpse back to Barrows. Come on Ray, forgive him. He didn’t know what I was doing to you and he didn’t know whether or not I was hurting you.”

  
Rachel blushed at the images that flashed in her mind and glared at her deathclaw again for interrupting.

  
So much for keeping Charon at arms length.   
Charon rolled his eyes at her and slapped his leg. “Come here asshole.”

  
Claws glanced at Rachel but skittered across the room to the ghoul. Charon rubbed Claws’ head and looked over at his smoothskin. “See, he and I are still….friends, I guess.”

  
Rachel watched them for a second and sighed. She was both upset and embarrassed that Claws had bitten Charon but she did understand that Charon had a point. Claws was just trying to keep her safe. “Okay, but will you please let me look at your foot?”

  
“No, it’s fine.” he told her firmly. “Go search the other side of the room for things we can sell.”

  
“Fine. When you die I’m writing I told you so on your headstone.” Rachel told him as she trudged to the nearest desk and set to work. She found a couple handfuls of caps and a magazine that looked interesting before she turned on her Pipboy light.

  
Charon looked over his shoulder as he pocketed a few stray shotgun shells and asked, “Did you find anything?”

  
“A few caps but nothing else useful or…hold on…”

  
Charon watched Rachel rub a grimy glass case with her sleeve. The girl’s brow furrowed and she tested the lock, it was broken and the cases lid lifted without much resistance. He heard her let out a long breath and Charon moved to her side of the room.

  
“What is it?” He asked, trying to look over her shoulder.

  
“It’s a gun…it’s _beautiful_!” Rachel carefully lifted the repeater rifle from the dusty case and looked down the sight.

  
“The sign says that that is Abraham Lincoln’s Repeater.” Charon said, tapping the brass plate on the case with his finger.

  
“Who?” She asked, opening the chamber and inspecting the weapons condition.

  
“One of the country’s presidents long before the war happened. He worked to free the slaves of that time period.” Charon told her, lifting a few bullets out of the case. “Looks like it fires .44’s.”

  
A grin spread over Rachel’s face, “I think I’m in love.”

  
Charon chuckled and handed her the bullets. She loaded her new weapon and slung the rifle over her shoulder. “Let’s go back, we can sell what we have and I can clean this guy up. We can head for Megaton in the morning as long as you feel like you up for a long walk.”

 

* * *

 

  
_“Helllooooo Caaappppitollllll Wastelaannnddd! This is Three Dog and you’re listening too Galaxy News Radio! Okay children, you remember when I told you that Our Angel had been spotted in Underworld? Well it looks like she’s finally walkin the wastes again. Remember, if you see a girl and ghoul and a deathclaw out there give ‘em a big thank you because they are definitely fightin’ the good fight! And now the weather-“_

  
Rachel switched off her Radio with a shake of her head. “What the hell is the good fight? And how the hell does he know we’ve left Underworld? It’s only been a few hours, not weeks like I threatened him!”

  
Charon shrugged his broad shoulders. “We can double back and pay him a visit.”

  
Rachel looked back towards the city and then shook her head. “Nah, we’ve gone too far. Hell I can see Megaton.”

  
They’d left Underworld early with plenty of supplies and caps in hand. Tulip had had quite a few .44’s in stock and Charon had cleaned out her shotgun shells. By the time they reached the gates of Megaton it was only a little past noon. Mickey was sleeping under an overturned bathtub and Stockholm was at his post above the gate.

  
Rachel waved and the sniper waved back slowly, staring at them. She frowned and put her hands on her hips. Her frown deepened when he didn’t open the gate. Instead he looked over his shoulder and called for Simms.

  
“What?” she yelled up to the crow’s nest but Stockholm just kept staring. Rachel gave Charon a cocked eyebrow and he started to shrug but stopped short.

  
“ _Shit_.” he rasped and pointed at Claws.  
Rachel looked down at her deathclaw and paled just a little, she’d gotten so used to him following them around in Underworld that she’d forgotten about his situation here in Megaton.

  
“Well…” she whispered. “ _Shit_.”

  
They waited for a few minutes in silence, both knowing that Simms was not going to like this, before the screech of the door caught Rachel’s attention. The gate opened enough for Simms to slip outside, followed closely by Jericho, before Stockholm slammed them closed again.

  
Simms scowled and Rachel plaster on a large grin. “Hello Sheriff….what seems to be the problem?”

  
Behind her Charon snorted and she saw Jericho shake his scruffy head and bite back a snort of his own.

  
“What the flying fuck do you think is the problem!?” Simms growled, gun aimed at her pet. “Kid you got a deathclaw in tow!”

  
“Yeah, about that,” Rachel blushed a little and scratched the back of her neck. “I was going to tell you. When he got bigger we were leaving him out of sight but after him being with us in Underworld I forgot…”

  
“What the hell do you mean when it got _bigger_!?” Simms yelled, furious. “Are you telling me you’ve had that fuckin monster in my town?!”

  
Rachel flinched and Claws stepped up beside her, growling softly. Rachel took ahold of his collar and bit her lower lip, feeling very much like a teenager getting scolded by a strict father. “ _Maybe_ …”

  
“Jesus Christ! We got kids in this town! I was fine when you brought home your,” he gestured wildly to Charon, “Friend…but this is different! What the hell were you thinking! That’s a deathclaw! They’re dangerous!”

  
“Hey!” Rachel yelled back, scowling just as hard as the Sheriff was now. “Don’t talk about him like that! Charon is just as dangerous as Claws!”

  
Charon put a hand on Rachel shoulder and cleared his throat. “We are aware of the situation. We were leaving Claws outside when we were in town before and no travelers or merchants have gotten hurt. He is well behaved, more so than _she is_.”

  
Simms glared at them but Jericho started laughing loudly. “Holy shit, you’re that fucking Angel do-gooder! The one that asshole on the radio keeps yappin’ about!”

  
Rachel glared at him, blushing all over again. “Three Dog has too much time on his hands.”

  
Simms wasn’t having any of it. “I don’t care if you’re the fuckin goddess of the wasteland. You are not keeping that thing in or around my town!”

  
“We live here!” She argued, outraged in spite of knowing that Simms had every right to be wary.

  
“Not anymore you don’t!” Simms growled.  
Rachel’s mouth fell open and she gaped at the sheriff but Charon slapped his big hand over her mouth before she could make things worse.

  
“Ah come on Simms.” Jericho said, flicking his cigarette on the ground. “It hasn’t attacked us yet. Besides, if you kick them out I might just get bored and leave too. Too bad I’m one of the few men in town who’s a decent shot.”

  
Simms grumbled, glaring at all of them but finally he sighed. He didn’t have time for all this and unfortunately despite his less then sunny disposition Jericho really was one of the few men in town who could fight if they needed too. “I don’t like it roaming around loose out here…”

  
“What?” Jericho snorted sarcastically, “Do you want us to build it a fucking coral?”

  
“Yes,” Simms answered, still glaring. “That would be a good solution. Build it a pen!”

  
Charon carefully lifted his hand from Rachel’s mouth and she scowled at him.

“That wasn’t necessary!”

  
“I think that it was.” He told her, unrepentantly.

  
“You’re an ass.” Rachel hissed and turned to Simms, “A pen, alright. There is plenty of scrap around Springvale.”

  
Rachel moved to enter Megaton and glared when Simms stepped in front of her. She knew he wasn’t going to let her in until Claws was contained and he knew she was going to be pissed off for a good long while when it came to him. They’d both get over their respective irritations eventually.

  
With a growl Rachel dropped her pack, pocked a few key items and headed for Springvale. Charon and Claws followed her dutifully and after a minute of debate Jericho swore and came strolling along too.

  
Rachel told him he didn’t have to but the old ex-raider shrugged and told her he didn’t have anything better to do.

  
Claw kept his distance at first.

  
It was funny to see him acted all timid around a stranger because he was almost shoulder level with Rachel.

  
“So, how the hell did you manage a deathclaw?” Jericho finally asked as they dragged another car door loaded with scrap back towards Megaton.

  
Rachel laughed and told him the story of how she’d come to adopt a deathclaw.

  
“You fed it? You’ve got to be out of your fuckin’ mind!”

  
“Everybody says that! But you assholes went there!” Rachel defended with a grin on her face. “He just looked so… _pitiful._ And kinda _adorable_.”

  
Jericho stopped in his tracks to look at her. Charon had stopped too and the men looked from the girl to the deathclaw and back.

  
“Yeah,” Charon drawled, “Because deathclaws are cuddly balls of fun.”

  
“Exactly!” She laughed, ignoring the ghoul’s sarcasm. “Adorable and pitiful and in need of rescuing. Kinda like when I first saw _you_ …”

  
He scowled and his mouth fell open a little. “I did not look pitiful.”

  
Rachel giggled and heaved the car door a few more inches, avoiding his gaze.

  
“And,” The big ghoul continued, “I have never been adorable, smoothskin. I am a badass. I was born a badass and I’ll die a badass.”

  
A shit eating grin he was growing to recognize split her face. “Whatever you say Char-bear.”

  
Jericho burst out laughing while Charon grumbled under his breath. He didn’t stop grumbling until they’d hauled their scrap all the way back to Megaton. It was an hour after sunset by the time they’d constructed an enclosure that would keep Claws out of trouble.

  
Rachel had insisted that they make the walls solid instead hashing together a fence. It was a lot more for Claws’ protection rather than to please Simms. She didn’t want any well-meaning person to spot him close to town and put a bullet in his brain.

  
Right now the walls were about four feet tall so he could still see over the top if he stretched and so could most people of average height but for tonight it would be alright. Rachel pulled opened the gate and Claws followed her inside.

  
They’d fashioned a three sided shack inside so he could get out of the sun if he wanted too and the rest of the rounded space was open.

  
Sheriff Simms came outside to inspect their work after Claws’ was locked in for the night. Claws grumbled at being contained but after Charon dragged a freshly killed mole rat into the pen and Rachel made Jericho help her move a small mattress into Claw’s house he settled down.

  
“Can we go home?” Rachel demanded with her hands on her hips. She was tired, hungry and needed a drink. It was making her bitchy.

  
“I suppose this is fine for now. I want the walls higher when it gets bigger.” he warned, leading the way back into the town. Simms went straight for his house and Rachel headed straight for Moriarty’s Saloon.

  
“I thought you wanted to go home?” Charon teased lightly beside her.

  
“I want a nice cold whisky and something to eat. I’m crazy hungry right now.”

  
Rachel paused with her hand on the door and looked up at Charon. When he cocked an eyebrow she winked and eased the door open gently. The bar was in full swing and only the people closest to the door noticed them come in.

  
Charon moved to his place against the wall and Rachel pushed past a couple of people to get to the bar. She blinked at the old raider sitting on his barstool and her eyebrows shot up into her hairline.

  
“How the hell did you get here before us?”

  
Jericho shrugged and lifted his glass.

  
Rachel shooed a man off of her bar stool and took a seat, grinning at Gob’s back. The ghoul was busy and hadn’t noticed her yet. He finally turned but didn’t look up to see who he was talking too, while he poured vodka for someone else.

  
“What can I get ya?”

  
“Two beers and too whiskeys, cold if you can manage it beautiful.”

  
Gob’s head snapped up and joy lit his swollen face. “Kid! Boy am I glad to see you. Moriarty been especially nasty lately.”

  
“I can tell.” Rachel swore under her breath. “What happened?”

  
Gob’s face was swollen and bruised. Maybe the people who didn’t spend a lot of time with ghouls wouldn’t notice but she sure as hell did. It looked like he’d gotten shit beaten out of him.

  
Her friend glanced around nervously as he set her order in front of her. “Nothin’ kid, I got clumsy.”

  
“Clumsy my ass,” She hissed so the people closest to her wouldn’t hear. “Maybe I should go have a talk with your boss.”

  
“No!” Gob shook his head fiercely. “No, Rachel it’s fine. It’s not the worst beating I’ve ever gotten. I didn’t even break any bones this time. Please kid. Don’t get mixed up in this.”

  
Rachel opened her mouth but a big hand settled on her shoulder. She looked up at Charon and sighed. Charon looked Gob over while the smaller ghoul refilled Jericho’s glass and shook his head almost imperceptibly.

  
Leaning down Charon whispered into her ear, “It is best to leave him to deal with it. He doesn’t have a slave collar on. He could just leave if he wanted too. Moriarty doesn’t have the caps to chase him all over the wastes and nobody would raise an eyebrow if he just disappeared.”

  
“Moriarty or Gob?” Rachel whispered back, murder in her golden eyes.

  
“Gob kid, don’t do anything stupid. You’re on thin ice with Simms already.” Charon warned, taking his beer from the counter.   
Rachel sighed in frustration but lifted her whiskey, handing the other to Charon. “Cheers,”

  
“Cheers,” he grumbled and they clinked glasses.

  
Rachel knew that Gob should handle Moriarty himself but that didn’t stop her from fantasizing about all the different ways she could kill him. So far her favorite was feeding him to Claws out in the wastes somewhere but she couldn’t figure out how to get him there without people knowing she and her pet had been involved.

  
Charon glared at the man sitting next to Rachel until the drunken wastelander got up nervously. The ghoul claimed the stool and they stayed there, drinking and talking quietly with Gob whenever he was close enough to join their conversation.

  
He was refilling Rachel’s whiskey glass for the third time when Moriarty poked his head out of his office and barked at him.

  
“Gob!”

  
The ghoul jumped and dropped the near full whiskey bottle in his hand. It bounced off the edge of the bar and shattered all over the floor. Rachel heard Gob whimper quietly under Moriarty’s string of loud curses.

  
There weren’t very many people left in the Saloon and they all fell silent while Moriarty yelled furiously, saying that Gob would be paying for that bottle. The other patrons went back to drinking but Rachel glared at the closed office door.

  
“Hey Gob,” she whispered. “He doesn’t mean he’ll be adding the bottle to your debt…does he?”

  
Gob sighed miserably. “No, but it won’t be anything a little radiation from the bomb won’t fix.”

  
Rachel ground her teeth, thinking very carefully. She felt like a mother deathclaw whose baby was in danger but knew she shouldn’t rip the old Irish bastard apart. Charon could see her wheels turning and shifted so his knee discreetly touched hers under the bar.

  
She glanced at him and smiled tightly. “I can’t leave him alone knowing that he’s gonna have the shit beat out of him as soon as the door is locked.”

  
“Rachel I know you want to save him.”

Charon said in a low voice. “I can’t say I like the idea of leaving either but he’s a ghoul. Simms won’t be lenient. You will lose the house if you kill another citizen in cold blood.” He cautioned.

  
“I know that!” she hissed back.

  
“Gob will have to be the one to deal with Moriarty. Simms probably won’t kick him out for defending himself and if he does we can escort him back to Underworld.” Charon reasoned.

  
He was right and she knew it.

  
Gob stopped next to them a set two fresh beers on the counter. “We will be closing soon.”

  
Rachel checked her Pipboy, it was already close to two in the morning. She lit two cigarettes and hand one to Charon as she popped the cap from her beer. “Alright, do you want to come over to my place after work?”

  
Gob’s eyes widened and he shook his head, “I don’t think Moriarty would like that very much.”

  
Rachel nodded once and stood, hefting her pack. “Alright, but if you change your mind you’re always welcome.” her eyes shifted to the closed office door and she made a decision. Discreetly Rachel checked to be sure nobody was watching them and slipped her hand into her lower leg pocket, pulling Maria from it’s holster.

  
Rachel didn’t hesitate. She leaned over the bar and gave her friend a warm hug, slipping the small pistol into the back of his pants and tugging his shirt so the weapon was hidden.

  
“Just in case,” she whispered into his ear as he stiffened. “I want it back before we leave town again.”

  
When Rachel leaned back she caught Gob looking at Charon with a terrified expression on his bruised face and she elbowed her ghoul. Charon grumbled something that she didn’t hear and she waved at Gob as they left.

  
Rachel could tell he had wanted to give the gun back but he was too scared to pull it out of its hiding place. He’d be beaten all the worse if Moriarty caught him with it.

Hopefully with her gun in his hand Gob would have a fighting chance. Maybe, despite not being Simms favorite person right now, she could go talk to him in the morning. The sheriff was a good man. Maybe she could get him to give Gob a little help.

  
They were almost back home when Charon grumbled beside her, “You’ve never hugged anyone like that before.” he was trying to sound like he didn’t care but like before Rachel could tell that he did.

  
Rachel cocked an eyebrow, “You mean you didn’t see?”

  
“I saw alright.” he spat under his breath before he could stop himself.

  
She chuckled at him. “I gave Gob my pistol and I’m hoping it wasn’t a mistake.”

  
“I hope he knows what end to hold.” Charon told her and she wacked his chest with the back of her hand.

  
“Oh don’t be mean, Gob is a ghoul. To survived this long he has to know how to shoot a little.”

  
Charon shook his head. “Gob isn’t a prewar ghoul. He is only forty or fifty years old. I think I heard someone say he grew up in Little Lamp Light.”

  
“Little Lamp Light?” Rachel asked as she opened the door to their house.

  
“It’s a town of children in some old caverns north west of here?”

  
“There aren’t any adults there?”

  
“No, when they turn a certain age they get kicked out?”

  
Wadsworth greeted them at the door cheerfully, “Welcome home mistress.”

  
“Hi Wadsworth.”

  
“Will you require anything this evening?”

  
“No,” Rachel told him politely. “You can go back to sleep, sorry we woke you up.”

  
Wadsworth bid them goodnight and returned to his sleeping dock.

  
Charon locked the door behind them and looked her over. “You still have blood on you.”

  
“I know, I’m going to wash up now and see what’s in the fridge. I have a good buzz started and I don’t want to give up on it now.” she gave him a crooked grin and headed for the little kitchen.

  
Charon didn’t usually like to do anything that would inhibit his combat skills but Talon Company was taken care of and Megaton was about as safe as they were ever going to get. Maybe he’d join her tonight.

  
Just this once.

  
She didn’t take long to wash up and even though he wasn’t watching he could follow her movements by the sound. When he heard the fridge door open he turned his head slightly to call to her.

  
“Get me one too?”

  
“Really?” she called as he settled back into the couch. He heard her close the refrigerator and the clink of glass on glass.

  
“I’m having a good day.” he drawled and he heard her snort behind him. There was the sound of her light footsteps and then a glass was held in front of his face. He took it and she jumped over the back of the couch, settling into the corner.

  
Rachel pulled the cork from a whisky bottle with her teeth and sloshed some of the amber liquid into his glass before filling her own.

  
“It’s nice having a home to come back to,” she commented, tucking her legs under her. She’d washed off most of the blood and her boots were gone along with her armor.

  
“You didn’t have a home in the Mojave?” he asked. There was a lot he didn’t know about her life before he met her. Given her ability to find danger he was surprised she’d lived long enough to make it to D.C.

  
“Not really, I had a few friends I would stay with when I was in different settlements.” she gulped half of her glass and smiled at some far off and fond memory. “Carla and Boone in Novac. Sunny Smiles in Goodsprings. Julie would let me sleep in the old Mormon fort when I was in Freeside or visiting The Strip.”

  
“The Strip?” Charon asked, refilling his glass and topping off hers.

  
“Mhmm, The New Vegas Strip. It’s still standing you know. It’s like stepping into a world before the war. I was amazed the first time I was there.” she told him, sipping her whiskey.

  
“I remember I wanted to go to Las Vegas. Me and a couple of my unit buddies were going to go when we got back to the states, never got the chance.” He told her, looking back into his own very distant past.

  
“The states?”

  
“Before the war the country what made up of fifty individual states. Like California and Nevada. My unit was sent overseas. The public wasn’t aware of it but the conflict with the Chinese goes deeper than what most people were told. Hell we were the ones fighting and even we didn’t know the whole of it.”

  
“What did you do in another country?”

Rachel asked, sitting up.

  
Charon swirled what was left in his glass and downed it. He shook his head after a second and looked at her, reaching out to tug a strand of her hair that framed her face.

“I’ll tell ya someday smoothskin. They aren’t nice stories.”

  
Rachel didn’t like the sorrow in his eyes and moved the subject in a new direction. “So you never got to go to Las Vegas? We’ll have to go. We’ll need four thousand caps to get in. There is a credit check at the gates, two thousand caps each.”

  
“We had better start saving.” Charon said. He was more than a little shocked that enough people had that kind of money to keep the strip open.

  
Rachel nodded as Charon shifted himself forward and unbuckled his armor. He piled it neatly on the chair next to the couch. Rachel watched, the fog in her brain prompting her to refill both their glasses while she stared at his muscles.

  
Charon accepted the new glass when he sat back and Rachel stretched, hooking her legs over his lap. Charon cocked an eyebrow at her but she just sighed with a sleepy little smile on her lips, leaning her head against the arm of the couch. He shrugged and rested a hand on her calf while he drank.

  
“Hey Charon,” she asked, eyes flicking over his muscled frame. “Why do you keep kissin’ me?”

  
The ghoul choked on his whiskey. Rachel leaned forward and slapped him on the back a few times while he coughed.

  
“ _What_?” he rasped finally.

  
“I don’t mind, you’re good at it. But you kiss me and then keep me at arm’s length. It’s a pattern I am not crazy about. Not that I want a steady beau or anything because I definitely don’t. I just don’t want to be teased.”

  
_She though he was teasing her?_

  
_Hell_ …

  
Charon took a slow breath, avoiding her eyes. This was not a talk he wanted to have.   
He wanted to ignore the issue until it went away but He had come to the conclusion that that wasn’t going to happen.

  
“It is inappropriate for me to kiss you.” He finally told her, speaking slowly. “You are my employer. In fact most of my behavior around you would have gotten me days of punishment from my trainers.”

  
“Why?” she was upset by the idea.

  
“Because I am supposed to be a weapon. You don’t use me correctly though so I guess you’re making me a man.” he chose his words carefully, not sure if he was explaining it so that she would understand.

  
She chuckled softly, “Guess I’m not exactly sorry. You are a man and you deserve to act like one.”

  
“Three Dog is right.” he told her, “You are a guardian angel. Thank you.”

  
Rachel looked at him, his words weren’t slurred but he had to be feel a really good buzz to be talking like he was. “For what?”

  
“For getting my contract. For saving me from the ninth circle of hell.” a small smile tugged the corner of his mouth.

  
“Anytime.” Rachel laughed and it was a beautiful sound. “Hey Charon? I’m sleepy.”

  
“Alright smoothskin.”

  
Charon pulled her into his arms and stood in a smooth motion. She slipped her arms around his neck and leaned against his chest, to intoxicate to care whether or not she was making him uncomfortable.

  
It didn’t matter anyway because he wasn’t uncomfortable hold her anymore.

  
Charon carried her up the stairs, nudging her bedroom door open with his foot. He gently set her down on the old mattress and tugged the blanket over her. “I’m going to go get you some water for the morning, do you want anything else?”

  
“Nothing down stairs.” she told him softly, curling into a ball.

  
Charon chuckled and left her. He retrieved the water from the kitchen and turned in time to see Rachel step from the last step to the floor. All she was wearing was her black tank top that didn’t quite reach her belly button and a pair of black panties.

  
“ _Rachel_ ,” he growled, eyeing her long legs and exposed navel. She was going to be the end him, he knew it. Charon set down the water bottle in his hand and shift back almost defensively. “Where are your pants?”

  
She smiled up at him softly, “Upstairs with my Pipboy.”

  
Charon didn’t realize he’d moved until she reached out and ran a finger down his hard chest. The path she traced tingled pleasantly and he wrapped a hand around her wrist to stop her. “What are you doing?”

  
“Touching you.” she said quietly, looking up at him from under lowered lashes.

  
“Why?” he asked, fighting every primal instinct he had. Those instincts were all screaming at him to take her against the nearest wall. And then the floor…and perhaps the bed after that.

  
“Why not?” she asked in a breathy little whisper that his manhood approved of whole heartedly.

  
Three minutes ago he might have had thirty reasons why it was a bad idea. Right now he was having trouble remembering most of them. “I’m a ghoul.”

  
Rachel nodded, “I noticed.” she put her free hand on his shoulder and traced her index finger over the exposed muscle on his neck.

He shivered under her touched and she tipped her chin up to meet his foggy blue eyes. “Do you want me to stop?”

  
Charon growled softly and covered her mouth with his hungrily.

  
Of course he didn’t want her to stop.

  
She should want to stop.

  
_He_ should stop himself, but he didn’t think he could do that either.

  
The ghoul put a hand under her ass and lifted her against him. Rachel’s legs instantly wrapped around his waist and he shoved her against the wall. Rachel moaned into his mouth and nibbled his lower lip while Charon’s hands slid over her nimble body.

  
She kissed him back and skated her lips along his jaw, licking the naked muscle on the side of his neck. Charon groaned and ground his erection against her, lust blurring his judgement more than the whiskey ever could.

  
“ _Charon_ ,” she groaned his name against his skin and he growled in response. Rachel bit the skin where his earlobe had once been and Charon hissed.

  
Muscles shaking with the effort he used the last of his self-control to growl into her ear.

“ _Order me to stop_.”

  
_“No,_ ” the word was breathy against his throat.

  
“ _Rachel_ ,” he groan, “I- it’s been a very long time.” the way her fingers where scraping over his back were doing nothing to help him get the words out. “It won’t be gentle. It’s not going to be sweat or tender.”

He growled again in response to the sinful things her lips where doing to his neck and he nipped her earlobe. “Order me to stop… _please… before I hurt you…”_

  
Rachel sucked in a deep breath and nuzzled him. He heard her swallow hard and her words were husky. “Charon, I order you…to… do whatever you want to me…”

 

 


	33. Adult sexy time type content

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've clipped out the adult content and put it here as it's own stand alone chapter. Please skip to the next chapter if you aren't into ghoul sexy time. :)

  
Charon slammed her back against the nearest wall and Rachel gasped when his mouth clashed against hers. He kissed her with an unrestrained hunger she’d never experienced. It was harsh and frightening and absolutely thrilling all at the same time in an explosion of sensations.

  
The man was going to ruin her for anyone else. The raw emotion rolling off Charon was intoxicating.

  
Rachel surged against him, dragging desperately at his shirt. She got it over his head and flung it across the room as soon as it released her target.

  
Charon’s body was hot. He was hotter than any man she’d touched before and she pressed herself into his scorching skin while her mouth ravaged his neck.

  
Rachel ground herself against the hard bulge in the front of his pants as his fingers dug into her flesh. Charon growled, emboldened by the whiskey and lust, and he slapped her ass.

  
She squeaked and bit his shoulder hard enough to make the big merc groan, digging her fingers into him. they were both going to have bruises in the morning. Glorious and well earned victory bruises.

  
“ _Bed_.” Rachel groaned, arching her back against the hard wall as he bit her back, leaving rosy teeth marks on her neck.

  
Instantly one strong arm wrapped around her waist and the other slid under her ass.

Her back left the cold metal wall and Charon carried her up the stairs, his revenging mouth not lessening an iota. Rachel’s mouth didn’t leave his skin either and every step he took ground his erection against her damp black panties.

  
Charon kicked the door open with more force then he’d intended and he dumped his smoothskin onto the small bed. Rachel immediately rolled to her knees and set to work on his belts. Charon stopped her long enough to roughly strip off her shirt and he hurled it over his shoulder.

  
He was vaguely aware that it had sailed through the still open bedroom door but he couldn’t be sure whether or not it was still on the second story or not.

  
Rachel’s bra was already gone, she must have taken it off in preparation for bed. The ghoul wasted no time in palming one perky orb, his other hand fisting into her hair while he kissed her.

  
Rachel yanked his second belt from their loops and tossed it aside, dragging his pants down. She was delighted to see that he didn’t wear anything in the way of underpants.

  
Charon stumbled out of his pants and kicked them aside. Like the rest of him the skin on his cock was patch worked and Rachel blinked, eyes widening.

  
He was an impressive man.

  
Charon shoved her down on the bed and crawled over her. He hooked his fingers into her panties and ripped them off her legs, tossing them over his shoulder in roughly the same flight path her shirt had taken.

  
Rachel looked up at him. She was panting, naked and beautiful with lust in her eyes that was ignited just for him.

  
Charon’s libido was fueled by the need in her gaze and he bent, capturing one erect nipple between his chapped lips. It had been a long _long_ time since he’d been with a woman but it was all coming back to him.

  
A breathy cry escaped Rachel throat as suckled her hard enough to bruise the skin and she loved the rough attention.

  
Every nerve in Rachel’s body hummed and the ached between her legs was becoming unbearable.

  
She needed him to take care of that.

  
Now.

  
Almost like he was reading her mind Charon switched to her other nipple, dragging a calloused hand up her inner thigh and pressing one large long finger into her.

Rachel cried out again and arched into his touch. Somewhere in the back on her sex clouded mind she could swear she felt him grin against her breast.

  
Charon swiftly added a second finger and Rachel arched again, nails dragging roughly into his shoulders while she rocked against his hand.

  
She’d ordered him to do what he wanted. What he wanted was not to hurt her. He could feel her sex loosening to accommodate his fingers and soon he judged that her body was ready to take his hardened length.

  
He shouldn’t hurt her now.

  
Mission accomplished.

  
Way too soon for Rachel to be pleased with Charon pulled his fingers from her aching center. She whimpered angrily and Charon flicked his tongue over her nipple a last time.

  
Rachel caught his hand still resting between her thighs and closed her lips over his slick fingers, sucking them clean. Charon groaned loudly, cock throbbing painfully and he shifted over her. He propped himself up on one elbow and spread her legs wider with a knee. She didn’t need much encouragement make room for him between her thighs.

  
Rachel could feel him against her inner thigh and she shifted her hips impatiently, shuttering. Charon didn’t waste time with formality; he pressed his head to her slick opening and entered her with one hard thrust.

  
“ _Charon_ ,” Rachel cried his name and bit his bicep, it was the closest thing to her teeth. The sound of his name on her lips did things to him he hadn’t even though were possible. Charon drew back and thrust back into her just as hard.

  
He growled in response to th breathy gasps that kepts escaping from her lips. He snapped his hips forward again and again, setting a firm pace. Rachel groaned, clutching his shoulders and legs wrapped around him.

  
Charon growled and bit her earlobe, slipping one arm under her head and massaging a perky breast with the other. Charon drove into her hard but she matched him thrust for thrust, making some wonderful sounds against his flesh as she worked her mouth over his skin and muscle alike.

  
It was only a few short minutes before Rachel’s breath was ragged and she could feel that wonderful tightening in her belly. Her muscles trembled while Charon plunged into her heated body. Charon’s pace quickened and he roughly hitched one of her legs over his shoulder, driving deeper.

  
Rachel’s body shattered under him, the sudden force of her climax ripping a shriek from her throat. The rush swamping out everything but the pleasure the ghoul on top of her had created.

  
Charon’s breath caught in his throat when she became impossibly tight, her inner walls shuddering as forcefully as the rest of her body around him. Halfway through her own orgasm Rachel groaned Charon’s name again and he exploded inside her. He snarled, his forehead dropping to her damp shoulder while he thrust until he was spent and she was panting beneath him.

  
Rachel looked up into his eyes, chest heaving with every breath she took. Charon kissed her damp shoulder and then her swollen lips. This time his mouth was tender and Rachel ran her trembling fingers over his shoulders.

  
“W-wow…” Rachel panted softly, a small smile turning up the corners of her mouth. “That…that was _something_.”

  
“ _Yeah_.” Charon agreed, rolling onto his back.

  
“Now what?” Rachel bit her lip sheepishly, finding herself suddenly on unfamiliar ground. “I’ve never slept with anyone I wanted to see in the morning before. I always just waited till the guy fell asleep and left.”

  
Charon pulled her against him and kissed the top of her head. “I can go to my room if it makes you more comfortable.” he told her softly, relieved when she shook her head.

  
“No. I want you to stay.”

  
“Good.” Charon grinned like an idiot in the dark room, more than thankful that she couldn’t see him. “I want to stay.”

  
Rachel snuggled against the big man and he wrapped his arms around her tightly, ready to hold her until she finally found sleep. To his immense surprise she was out in only a few minutes and it gave him a strange sense of pride. Rachel never fell asleep easily; even with the amount of Med-X Barrows was giving her it still had taken her almost half an hour.

  
Charon was exhausted and satisfied but it was an hour before he finally fell asleep. His mind was too busy replying everything that had happened between them so far. Never had he ever though a woman like Rachel would come into his life. That he would deserve to be happy with a woman like her.

  
It still surprised him that she was happy with him.

  
Rachel could have any man in the wasteland and she wanted him.

  
Obviously she was insane and he still didn’t deserve it but here she was. Wrapped safe in his arms and sleeping peacefully. She really was an angel.

  
His angel.

  
He’d do his best to stay by her side for as long as she wanted him there. For the first time in two hundred years he had a reason to stay alive.

 


	34. Chapter 34

  
Distant pounding made Charon grumble and shifted, the sound pulling him from the deepest sleep he’d had in years. He felt for his shotgun but instead of finding the familiar cold metal of his most loyal friend he found the warm flesh of a smoothskin.

His eyes opened and he blinked into soft red Rachel’s hair.

  
Her back was pressed tightly against his chest and she was using his outstretched arm as a pillow. His other arm was draped over her waist and he smiled, running his scarred fingers over her skin again softly.

The pounding sounded again and he growled, recognizing the sound as a fist pounding on their front door.

  
Her front door?

  
No. It was _their_ front door.

  
Rachel growled and shifted too, spurring Charon to ease out of bed. He grabbed his discarded pants and yanked them on, intent on killing whoever it was before they woke her up. Charon pulled the thin blanket over her and eased the door closed as he slipped out of the bedroom. There was a dent from where he’d kicked it the night before.

  
Charon grabbed his shotgun from where he’d left it on the couch the night before and cocked it. He was a foot from the door when the pounding started again.

  
Angrily Charon yanked the door open and pointed his shotgun before he even saw who it was. “ _What?_ ” he hissed.

  
“I-oh…” Gob stuttered, eyes darting around anxiously. Judging from the early morning light it was still an hour before dawn. “Um… sorry. It’s early. But…can I…um can I come in?”

  
Charon looked up to the closed bedroom door and growled. He’d deal with whatever Gob wanted and get him out before Rachel woke up. Maybe he could do some of the things he’d dreamt about to her before they started their day. “If you’re quiet, she’s still sleeping.”

  
Charon not so discreetly zipped his pants and gave Gob an appraising once over. The smaller ghoul was twitchier then usual and the dark spots splattered on his shirt looked a hell of a lot like half dried blood.

  
“ _Holy shit_.” Charon cursed softly. “You actually killed that bastard.”

  
Gob’s eyes went wide, “How…how do you know?”

  
Charon cocked an eyebrow at him. “You’re out of the fucking saloon and you’re covered in blood.”

  
“Oh… do you think Sheriff Simms will kill me?” he asked and Charon snorted.

  
“Not likely. Moriarty was an asshole and by the time Simms finds out Rachel will be up. She’d walk through fire before she’d let you get shot over that bastard.” Charon told him, guiding Gob to the chair in the living room and making him sit down. The younger ghoul kinda looked like he might vomit.

  
“What do I do?” Gob asked miserably.

  
Charon scowled at Wadsworth and tapped the Mr. Handy’s metal casing with his shotgun barrel. “Robot. Wake up.”

  
Wadsworth came to life and greeted Charon cheerfully, “Good morning sir, what can I do for you?”

  
_“Shh_ , Rachel is sleeping. Do you make coffee?” He asked, resigned to the fact that he wasn’t going to get to go back to bed this morning after all.

  
“I believe I have a bit of coffee left somewhere.” Wadsworth replied at a much lower volume.

  
“Good, make it.” Charon took a seat on the couch across from Gob and settled his shotgun in his lap. “Tell me what happened.”

  
Gob licked his lips nervously and twiddled his thumbs. “Well, after the bar closed I cleaned up. Moriarty had already passed out so I locked up and went to bed. I st-stashed the gun under my pillow, y-you know so I could give it back.

  
Well Moriarty woke up and decided I needed a beating for b-breaking that bottle last night and he came in. I was expecting it though so I heard him coming.” Gob smoothed the few wisps of hair he had left back over his head nervously. “I heard some of what you were tellin’ Rachel yesterday, about how I wasn’t wearing a c-collar and could l-leave if I wanted too. I don’t know. You were right and I started to think how great life would be if I did use that gun.

  
Well he came in and yelled and got in a few punches and…and I guess I just sorta snapped cause I grabbed that gun and I pointed and pulled the trigger.” Gob dropped his face into his hands. “I don’t even feel bad about it.”

  
“You shouldn’t.” Charon told him. “You were defending yourself. Don’t go sit by the bomb until Simms see the damage he cause.

Where’s the body?”

  
“R-right where I left it I guess. Christ, Nova is still over there. What if she heard the shots? What if she finds Moriarty dead and me gone?”

  
Charon put up a hand before Gob worked himself into a panic attack. “Nova will be confused but fine. The gun isn’t silenced. If Nova slept through that she’s jetting.”

  
Wadsworth appeared balancing a tray with two steaming coffee mugs and a little bowl that had what looked like sugar. Charon had no idea where the robot had gotten sugar but it wasn’t important right this second.

  
He took one mug and nodded for Gob to take the other. The little ghoul thanked the robot and sipped carefully. The warm porcelain in his hands seemed like it was calming him down like Charon had hoped it would. It had always worked with his sister and Gob was more than a little girly in Charon’s opinion.

  
“ _Charon_ …” Rachel’s voice whined sleepily from upstairs. The ghouls stiffened, listening. “Charon I’m cold. Will you come back to bed…?”

  
Startled Gob looked at the bedroom door. He noticed Charon’s shirt crumpled on the stairs and what looked like a pair of black panties caught on the railing of the landing upstairs. His eyes traveled back to Charon’s bare chest and Gob’s mouth fell open.

Charon gave him an incredibly smug smile.  
“Rachel put your pants on.” He called up to her. “We have a visitor.”

  
“Who is it?” she yelled back, sound much more awake, and they could hear her moving around behind the closed door.

  
“Come find out.”

  
Rachel appeared at the top of the stairs in her torn up jeans and a white tank top. Her hair was sticking out at odd angles and she was barefoot. Charon thought she looked gorgeous and he had to resist the urge to kick Gob’s ass for watching her too.

  
“Gobert!” her eyes lit up as her mouth fell open, “You killed that son of a bitch! Congratulations! I’m so proud of you!”

  
Gob eyebrows flew up and he fidgeted with his coffee cup. Rachel pranced down the steps and threw her arms around his neck in a warm hug before she flopped onto the couch next the Charon.

  
Charon scowled at the hug and wrapped a possessive arm around her shoulders. For one ludicrous second Gob felt like he was being interviewed by the parents he’d never knew.

  
“Good Morning Madam,” Wadsworth hovered into the room with the tray and presented Rachel with a mug of coffee.

  
Rachel leaned forward and looked at the black liquid. “What is it?”

  
“Coffee Madam, there is sugar in the bowl.” The Mr. Handy explained cheerfully.

  
Rachel glanced at Charon and he nodded, taking a pointed sip from his own cup. She took it and added a couple spoons of the white sand Wadsworth had called sugar.

She’d heard of it. If she remembered correctly it was a sweetener. Wadsworth went back to the kitchen and Rachel took a carful sip.

  
“This is good,” She murmured and settled back against her ghoul. Charon stretched out his legs and touched Rachel’s knee with his but didn’t make any other move to touch her. With Gob here they had things to do.

  
There was a finger light tap on the door and Gob nearly jumped out of his skin. Charon got up with his gun in one hand and his coffee in the other, grumbling something about it being too early for this.

  
He opened the door and lifted is shotgun in a smooth motion. Rachel new if she’d tried to open the door like that she’d probably have dropped it. Charon’s hands where bigger though and he and his shotgun had been together a long time.

  
Nova stood in the doorway with her hands up, palms facing Charon to show she was unarmed. The ghoul dropped his aim and stepped aside to let her in without a word. The whore took in Charon’s bare chest and Rachel’s sleepy face.

  
“It’s about time, I hope you two had a good night.” she commented even as her eyes slid to Gob.

  
Rachel nodded, a blush coloring her cheeks as a smile crept over her lips. “We did. Better than most nights.”

  
“I woke up late this morning.” Nova’s voice was incredulous, like she wasn’t sure if she was really awake or not. She crossed the room and slid her arms around Gobs neck, hugging him tightly without missing a word. “And I ran down stairs before Colin found out. You weren’t up either though so I went to wake you up too, it was too early for Colin to be pissed off…there was so much blood in your room... and his body… but you weren’t there. I thought he killed you.”

  
“He tried.” Gob assured her, awkwardly patting her back. Twice this morning he’d been hugged warmly by pretty smoothskins. It was like a scenery overload. Nova let go of him and Gob pressed his mostly full coffee cup into her hands. “I killed him first though.”

  
“You?” Nova’s asked, surprised. “And after finding Colin I thought I wouldn’t be surprised again. I was wrong.”

  
Gob shifted uncomfortably, “It was self-defense. Really it was…”

  
“Gobert,” Rachel chuckled, “You have nothing to worry about. He came at you and you shot him. It happens. Everyone knows he was a violent man and he pissed in his still. That’s why we only ever drank the bottled beer and whisky.”

  
“I would have never severed you that, I made sure you only ever got the good stuff.”

  
“That a’boy,” Rachel looked up at Charon. “Now what?”

  
Charon sighed; this was not how he had envisioned this morning. What to do shouldn’t be their responsibility and yet somehow it was. Because Rachel had provided the means?

  
Maybe, but Nova had come to their house too so maybe it was Rachel herself. A hero in the wasteland even though her deeds weren’t as great as the one’s Three-dog still prattle on about. The one’s done by the kid that crawled out of vault 101.

  
“Someone needs to go get Simms.” Charon finally told them. “It will be better if he hears it from us rather than finding out through town gossip. Gob…” one look at the smaller ghoul told Charon he wasn’t going to be very effective talking to the Sheriff alone. “Stay here with the girls. I’ll go get Simms.”

  
Charon went up to the bedroom, snatching Rachel’s panties off the railing on the way by and he cursed at the mess they’d made of the bedroom. There was shit everywhere. It seemed that in the need to get his smoothskin into bed he’d managed to knock a lot of stuff from shelves to the floor.

  
“Rachel where is your gun?” he yelled, tossing her panties on the floor with everything else.

  
She had to think for a second, sipping her coffee. “I think it’s in the kitchen.”

  
Charon came back down, pulling a shirt over his head. “Get it and keep it close. I don’t want your ass disappearing in the ten minutes I’ll be gone.”

  
Charon’s voice was all business as he strapped his armor into place but Rachel scoffed anyway. “Asshole, stay out of trouble.”

  
Charon shook his head, pulling open the front door. “You need to worry about that more than I do.” and he was gone.

  
The other two people in the room turned to stare at her. “What?”

  
“I’ve never seen Charon in a good mood before. What did you do to him?” Gob asked like he hadn’t already picked up on the obvious.

  
Nova grinned as she settled onto the couch next to Rachel. The whore ran a finger over a particularly dark bite mark on the girl collarbone and laughed. “Gobbie I think it’s more of a question of what he did to her.”

  
“So you guys really…I mean _…you know_ …”  
Rachel sipped her coffee and smiled, “Well you guys won’t see me in a good mood this early in the morning for much of anything else.”

* * *

  
Simms wasn’t exactly pleased but throughout his talk with Gob and Nova he didn’t seem that distraught either. It wasn’t like Moriarty was a pillar of the community.

After going over what happened he sighed and muttered something about it being too early for all this shit.

  
“It sounds like self-defense, I suppose if anyone wants to argue against you I might have to investigate some more but I don’t see the point. There weren’t any witnesses and judging from your face you took a beating first just like you said. I’d say you’re in the clear.”

  
“What’s gonna happened to the Saloon?” Nova asked as Simms was getting ready to leave. She and Gob were free from Colin but they were also suddenly homeless and jobless.

  
“Well…” he started, thinking it over. “As far as I know Colin didn’t have any next of kin or a will. Way I figure it you two are the only ones that know how to run the damn place anyway. So long as you want it I’d say it’s yours.”

  
Sheriff Simms left without another word and Nova gaped at Gob for a long time. “Did he just say _Ours_?”

  
Gob nodded, speechless.  
Rachel clapped her hands together, “Gobert your mother is gonna be so proud of you!”

  
Gob paled. “Rachel please don’t tell Carol I killed someone! I never told her I was as good as a slave. I don’t want her to know that!”

  
Nova cleared her throat, patting Gob’s arm gently. “You could write to her Gob, Tell her…tell her your boss passed away and the saloon’s deed was passed over to you. That is the truth, just without the messy details.”

  
“Speaking of messy details your saloon really needs some attention. Colin’s going to stain the floor if you leave him too much longer.” Rachel pointed out and they all nodded in agreement.

  
Gob looked around the room and then at the door, not sure how to proceed. Charon grumbled and pushed him towards the door.

“Come on, we have a lot of work to do before you’ll be ready to open for business.”

 


	35. Chapter 35

Rachel looked around Gob’s Saloon and grinned at the crowd. The place was busier now than it had ever been under Moriarty’s management. Gob had kept it closed for two days while they’d scrubbed every inch of the place.

He’d enlisted Jericho to help fix up the long bar and the old raider had turned out to be fairly skilled at carpentry. They’d tossed the infected stills and revamped the menu after talking to Moira Brown about a steady line of supplies.

 Eight mouths had been nothing but good for the business. Gob and Nova were famously successful together with Gob taking care of the booze and food while Nova handled the rooms.

Nova had quit whoring too.

Now the man that got the pleasure of her company was the one she wanted. Jericho had asked her to move in with him not too long after they’d started see each other and the extra vacant room at the Saloon had gone a long way towards their profits.

Gob spotted his favorite smoothskin and waved from behind the bar, shooing a drunken traveler off of her stool. Rachel grinned and sat as he set a cold tumbler of whiskey down in front of her.

“You’re back! How was the Republic of Dave?”

Rachel grimaced, “Weird. Dave tried to take me as his third wife. Charon knocked his ass out before I got in one half way decent punch myself. We’ve both been banished for life.”

Gob laughed, wiping out a glass. He’d heard of the Republic before and everyone agreed that their leader was insane. Dave didn’t have enough people under his command to be any threat though and the thought of anyone trying to claim Charon’s woman was funny enough to bring tears to his eyes.

“So where is your boyfriend?” Nova asked, coming up behind her and giving the shorter red head a hug.

“Whoa now. Hey!”  Rachel protested, cursing the blush that colored her cheeks. “Me and Charon are just friends.”

“Friends that fuck like molerats in spring and make goo-goo eyes at each other all damned day.” Gob grinned, handing a beer to someone sitting next to her. “You too are so in love it’s ridiculous.”

“Okay buddy,” Rachel pointed a finger at the bartender while she tried not to laugh. “I have never made fuckin’ goo goo eyes at anybody in my life.”

“Ah huh.” Gob couldn’t help teasing her now that he’d seen the blush coloring her cheeks. “I bet you two cuddle. Have feelings and shit. Smile at each other for no reason.”

“We have done no such thing.” Rachel gasped and tried her best to look insulted. “To think, feelings…what’s wrong with you!”

Gob sniggered and leaned on the counter. “He’s not here right now…” The ghoul grinned at her, eyes twinkeling. “Do you miss him?”

“No!” Rachel snapped a little too quickly, the heat on her cheeks spreading over her face. She could feel Nova laughing against her back, “I’ve been right next to him for days. It wouldn’t make sense for me to miss him already.”

“It wouldn’t.” Gob agreed, still grinning like an asshole. “But you do. Face it kid, you guys are in love.”

“Someone’s getting awfully brazen in their freedom.” Rachel glared.

Maybe she did love Charon.

Maybe not.

She didn’t know.

Charon had never said it to her and she’d never said it to anyone at all. Besides she’d be damned if she was going to compromise the good thing they had going by complicating the situation with feelings. They were partners, Friends and lovers when the mood struck. Okay so the mood struck all the time but still.

“Maybe someone should remind you of your place.” a gravelly voice growled behind her and Nova’s petite form at her back was replaced by Charon’s hard muscle. Charon wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

“That wouldn’t change a thing.” Gob grinned, having to rise is voice over the chatter of people.

“I could anyways beat the manners back into you.” Charon threatened with a grin.

He flipped Charon off with one hand and tossed him a beer with the other. Charon caught his beverage of choice and twisted off the cap, chucking it at Gob who ducked, laughing.

Life had been good like that.

Rachel, Charon, Gob, Nova and Jericho. They were like a mismatched little family.

Charon whispered in her ear the amount of caps he’d gotten from their newest haul of salvage and she smiled.

“That’s awesome.” she whispered back, “I owe Crow for the new additions to Claws’ armor.” Charon nodded, taking the seat next to her as soon as the other man left. He touched her knee with his and Rachel smiled. Gob set two bowls of noodle in front of them without them having to order and they dug in. They’d traveled all night and day to get home and were both starving.

Jericho settled onto the stool on Rachel’s left and grinned, “Hey beautiful. Welcome back to our little scrap heap.”

Rachel smiled sweetly and sighed. “Thanks. There’s no place like home.”

She’d only been referring to Megaton as home for a couple months but it sounded right in Charon’s ears. This was their home, most of the people they cared about lived here and the others lived in Underworld.

Their house was here. They’re partnership was mostly accepted here and Both he and Rachel looked forward to returning after they’d been out in the wastes for awhile.

Three Dog came on the radio and spouted a rerun report about “ _Angel._ ” This one was about the time they had rescued some people from Slavers on their way to Paradise Falls and then another about the time they’d helped fight off Raiders that had attacked Big Town while they’d been there.

It hadn’t been like they’d appeared in the nick of time. They had stopped in town to resupply and Raiders had attacked. Rachel didn’t react well to being shot at and shot them back. It had been as simple as that.

“He’s going to have a field day when he finds out we burned Paradise Falls to the ground.” Rachel whispered to Charon and the big ghoul nodded.

Over the last eight months Rachel had launched an anti-slavery campaign that had made her a hero to slaves and a walking nightmare to Slavers. Eulogy Jones had begged her on his knees for his life and she’d shot him with the coldest eyes Charon had ever seen.

He’d never been more attracted to her.

The caps they’d gotten today were from all the salvage they’d gotten from the Slaver town yesterday morning. Six thousand caps worth of salvage. Rachel grinned at Charon as she pushed her empty bowl away.

“It’s good to be home.”

“Yeah,” He agreed. “How long do you wanna stay this time?”

“I don’t know. We aren’t exactly hard up for caps anymore. We could actually take it easy for a while.”

“We could,” Charon agreed again although he knew her better than that. “But I’m not sure you could stand doing nothing for more than a couple of days.”

“Fuck off Asshole,” she grinned, knowing he was right.

Jericho leaned back and reached around Rachel, smacking Charon on the arm. “Hey, we playin’ cards tonight?”

Charon glanced at Rachel who shrugged, silently telling him she didn’t have anything planned for them.

Charon nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be here.”

Rachel grinned, looks like she was hanging out with Nova tonight. They could play if they wanted too but it was more or less a boy’s night. Charon, Jericho, Gob, and Simms got together a couple nights a week to play poker. Sometimes Billy Creel and Doc. Church would join the game too.

They stayed until closing and then Nova and Rachel left together while the men stayed behind. Nova and Rachel linked arms like a couple of kids and skipped all the way to her house. Wadsworth greeted them cheerfully and told them a joke about electrons in a bar before he turned in for the night.

“So what do we want to do tonight, hun?” Nova asked, hands on her hips.

“We could go play with the men but that’s only fun until they start bitching about us kickin’ their asses.”

Nova nodded, flopping onto the couch. “So what is the deal with you and Charon? You both are purposely avoiding the fact that you’re in a relationship. Do you not want to commit to him? I can’t see you holding the fact that he’s a ghoul in the way but I can’t think of anything else either.”

Rachel shook her head, “No, it’s nothing like that. We just have a good thing going between us. We are friends who sometimes sleep together. Simple as that.”

“So if you did meet a nice guy you could sleep with him?” Nova asked, watching her face.

“Yes.” Rachel confirmed.

“And if Charon found somebody he wanted you’d be okay with that?” Nova pressed with raised eyebrows.

It was a trick. Rachel knew it was a trick but the thought of Charon going to bed with anyone other than her made her hackles rise just a little bit. Rachel beat down the feeling and nodded, keeping her face passive. “Of course.”

Nova laughed, “You are so full of shit.”

Rachel laughed and ignored the comment.

“Do you love him?” Nova asked suddenly.

“I don’t like that word,” Rachel confessed. “It makes me uncomfortable.”

“Really? I thought I had issues.”

“I know right,” Rachel grinned. And they moved on to new topics. Mostly Nova caught her up on the gossip around town and when they ran out of gossip Rachel stood, empty whisky bottle in her hand.

Nova set her own bottle on the floor and stood too. “I feel like getting into trouble.”

“Me too,” Rachel grinned, thinking. “Charon doesn’t like it when I go outside at night without him, _sooo_ …you wanna go play with Claws!”

“Yes!” Nova grinned, clapping her hands.

Rachel grabbed her rifle and pointed at the fridge. “Get the SMG on top and we’ll go out and say hi!”

Nova giggled and grabbed the gun like she’d been told to.

Safety first after all.

 The girls were out the door without a second thought. Stockholm wasn’t happy about them waking him up to go play but he opened the gates anyway. Rachel and Nova slipped out the doors as soon as they were opened enough and ran the short distance around the outer wall to Claws’ pen. The walls now stood six and a half feet tall and the deathclaw could already see over the top of it.

Rachel unbolted the door but he wasn’t there. She frowned and turned, scanning the dark horizon. The moon was full so she could see pretty far but Claws was nowhere in sight. Honestly she hadn’t expected him to be. Claws was a master of camouflage.

“Charon must have let him go hunt.” Rachel pouted.

“I thought Simms wanted him locked up when you weren’t with him?”

Rachel flapped her hand dismissively, “If Simms got everything he wanted he would be spoiled. Nobody likes a spoiled Sheriff. Claws needs a lot of food and I’m not going to drag whole molerat colonies back here for him. He’ll get lazy and fat.”

“Nobody likes a fat, lazy Deathclaw.” Nova agreed, offering Rachel a sip from the whiskey bottle she’d grabbed from Rachel’s kitchen.

Rachel giggled and took a swig from the bottle. “I was gonna ride him too.”

Nova looked at her with wide eyes, “Have you done that before? It sounds … _fun_.”

“It does!” Rachel had thought about it a few times but she’d never attempted it. The whiskey was helping her forget all the reasons she hadn’t tried to ride him yet. Suddenly it seemed like an incredibly good idea. “I haven’t done it yet, but I bet he’d let me. I’ll call him!” Rachel put her thumb and middle finger to her lips and whistled sharply.

Nova clapped her hands, grinning. “Can I ride Claws too? I bet he can run really fast!”

“Yes!” Rachel shouted, throwing her arms in the air. “Deathclaw rides for everyone! We’ll ride him together! It’ll be so fun!”

Claws scampered around the curved edge of the town’s outer wall and skidded to a halt in front of his mistress. He licked the whole left side of her face with a rough bloody tongue.

“Gross, Claws no more kisses.” Rachel laughed and wiped bloody saliva off her face with her arm. She wasn’t wearing her armor, only jean and a black tank top so she failed getting most of the blood steaks off her skin.

Claws sniffed Nova’s hair and nuzzled her in an affectionate greeting. The force knocked her on her ass and she giggled, getting back up to her feet.

“Okay,” Rachel said, snapping her fingers to get her pet’s attention.  His head was massive as is swiveled towards her, he could bite her in two if he wanted too but she trusted him implicitly. She trusted Claws as much as she trusted Charon. “We are gonna do something new okay?” she cooed.

She tapped the end of his nose with a finger. “Mama wants to go for a ride.” She told him, her words soft even though there was no way Charon could hear here. “Don’t tell Daddy.”

Nova laughed loudly. “You call Charon Daddy?”

Rachel giggled. “Yeah, when I’m talkin’ to my beautiful boy here.” she scratched Claws’ chin. The big deathclaw made a purring sound deep in his throat and licked her again. Rachel pointed at the ground.

“Down.” Obediently Claws crouched until he could lay his head flush with the ground. Rachel looked over his back and decided on his shoulders. “I think we can both fit up here.”

Rachel took another sip of whiskey to steel here nerves and slid the bottle into her pocket. She carefully swung her leg over his neck and settled with her ass against his highest back spike. It took a little adjusting to sit comfortably but Claws held still until she was settled with her legs hooked over his shoulders.

Rachel grinned and waved to Nova. “Come on.”

Nova was grinning as she followed suit, settling behind Rachel and wrapping her arms around Rachel’s waist. Rachel held the curve of Claws’ horns but that wasn’t comfortable so she dropped her hands to his neck. Satisfied she clucked her tongue. “Up Claws.”

The deathclaw twisted his head to look at her, like he was questioning her sanity and she laughed. “Up Claws. You’re such a good boy and mama loves you. Now let’s take a walk!”

Claw recognized the commands and rose up to his full height. Rachel giggled wildly as butterflies flapped wildly in her stomach. They were easily seven feet off the ground. Rachel pointed out over the wasteland and swung her legs yelling. “Giddy up Claws! Mush!”

Claw shook himself slightly, like he was trying to buy time before the inevitable and then startled walking. He crossed the path to the front gate and the girls waved as Stockholm spit his mouth full of beer and started to cough.

“What the fuck are you doing!?” he yelled, nearly falling out of his chair.

“Shhh!” Rachel hissed loudly. She was just a little drunk and she didn’t care at the moment what was going to happen when the boys found out. “Stockholm!” she whispered as loud as she could. He cocked an eyebrow and she assumed he could hear her. “We are going for a ride _. Real quick_.” she and Nova both giggled. “Claws is okay with it! Charon can’t know!”

“What?” Stockholm yelled, panic on his face. Charon was going to blame him for letting them out. If he’d known they were up to something this crazy he never would have opened the gate.

“Mush!” Rachel pitched forward, point away from Megaton. Claw snorted and took off running. Nova’s arms tightened around Rachel’s waist and she shrieked excitedly.

Rachel hauled herself up higher and whooped in the moonlight as they sprinted across the wasteland.

The wind whipped wildly through her hair and her heart pounded against her ribs.

The excitement. The speed. The edge of danger mixed with adrenalin. She loved it.

* * *

 

Charon swigged his beer and slapped his cards down, “Flush assholes!” he gloated, as the men swore. Charon pulled the pile of caps onto his side of the table and grinned, a cigarette trapped in his teeth. Luck was definitely on his side tonight. He had yet to make a bad bet and he was up two hundred caps.

The door to the Saloon opened and they all looked up as Stockholm crossed the threshold.

“We’re closed,” Gob told him apologetically, shuffling the cards. “Want us to deal ya’ in?”

Stockholm met Charon’s eyes and paled. Charon automatically stiffened. “What?” He demanded when the dark skinned man just stood there staring.

The gate keeper flinched, “I’m _real sorry_ Charon. I didn’t know they’d been drinkin’ enough to be so crazy. I wouldn’t a’ opened the gate if I’d known they’d been drinkin’ like that!”

Charon and Jericho were both on their feet by the time he’d finished. There were only two people that could get into enough trouble while drinkin’ that Stockholm would have to have to get them.

“What did they do!?” Jericho demanded.

“They had you open the gate?” Charon swore at the same time.

Stockholm gulped and took a defensive step backwards. “They took off on the deathclaw. Said you couldn’t know so I figured I should come get you as fast as I could.”

Charon blinked, He couldn’t have heard the man correctly. The black hole forming in his gut said he did hear the gate keeper right though. “They took off _on_ the deathclaw?”

Stockholm gulped again and nodded. “Yeah, they were both on its back.”

“Gods all damned, Jesus christ, mother fuckin crazy ass woman!” Charon roared, pulling his shotgun from his back and running out of the saloon. Jericho was right behind him and swearing just was fiercely.

Stockholm ran full speed back to his post and hit the button that would open the gates. The men were out of the settlement in seconds. Charon’s chest twisted painfully when there was no sign of either the girls or the animal. Swearing again he whistled loudly, grinding his teeth together in an effort to calm himself while he listened for movement.

“Will Claws come to you if he’s with Rachel?” Jericho asked, scowling at the moonlit dessert.

  
“ _I don’t know_.” Charon growled, trying to think of ways he could physically punish Rachel that she wouldn’t actually enjoy in the long run.

“There,” Jericho pointed at a dot of movement on the horizon. Charon recognized the shape as Claws almost instantly and he whistled again. The deathclaws’ head snapped in his direction and Charon glared as laughter echoed into his ears.

They waited.

Jericho smoking a cigarette at a furious pace and Charon stood like a stone with his arm crossed. Claws disappeared in a dip of land and seconds later he reappeared in the curve of the road in front of the main gates.

Rachel was grinning like a crazy person over the top of Claw’s head. She locked eyes with Charon and she pull roughly on Claws horns. He came up short, shaking his head to dislodge his mama’s hands.

“Oh _fuck_ ,” they heard her whisper, ducking down behind Claws’ head.

Nova’s head peaked out from the side of Claws’ face and snapped back, “Do you think they saw us?”

“ _Yes_.” Charon growled dryly, taking a few steps towards them. “We saw you. Rachel…will you come _here_ please?”

“I would rather not.” she called, but her feet shifted and first Nova and then Rachel climb down. Rachel’s booted heel caught Claw’s elbow and she fell backwards. Charon jerked forward and he caught her before she touched the ground. He helped her get her feet under her and he held her firmly against him.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded working to keep the anger out of his voice. They never fought in front of Claws. The big animal was protective and they didn’t want to confuse him on who he was supposed to eat.

Charon glanced over, Jericho had a possessive arm around Nova and they were headed back into Megaton. Nova was talking to him quickly and quietly while the old Raider shook his head, whispering back just as quickly.

Charon opened the gate to Claws’ pen and after the beast was inside he scooped up Rachel, carrying her. She could walk just fine on her own but he didn’t want her to wander off. He wanted to get her home so they could have a talk.

Wadsworth greeted them at the door like always and then went about his business. Charon looked at her in the light of the living room and swore.

“What?” She asked, looking up at him.

“You’re covered in blood! Rachel where are you hurt?”

Rachel looked down and blinked. “Oh! Claws gave me kisses but he just ate. I’m A-okay.”

“Good,” Charon growled, dumping her on the couch. “Now what in the flying fucking hell were you doing?! He could have killed you by accident! You and Nova both!”

Rachel flinched but glared, scrambling to get up and stand at her full height. “But we didn’t! Claws was fine and it was so much fun! You gotta try it!”

“No! And you’re not doing it again either. He is big and fast. What do you think will happen if he falls? You’ll be crushed, or if he catches you with his claw’s you’ll be gutted!”

“You can’t tell me I can’t ride my own damn deathclaw!” She yelled, in the back of her mind she knew that that wasn’t a great argument but she had been having fun and he’d popped her drunken goodtime bubble. “You are not my father!”

“The hell I can’t! I’m your protector!” he snarled, “It’s for your own good!”

“Fuck off Asshole! I’ll do what I want, when I want! Rules of the Capitol Wasteland!” Rachel yelled, her fists on her hips. “I could ride Claws all the way to the Mojave. We got the caps to get onto the Strip! I’ll sit on my fuckin’ deathclaw and play Blackjack in the middle of The Tops Casino!”

They stared each other down for a few long seconds and finally Charon snorted. The absurdity of what she’d said defusing him. “ _What_?”

Rachel chuckled, unable to hang onto her anger. “Yeah, I probably couldn’t get him all the way into the Strip but I could get pretty close.”

“I can’t believe you snuck out and rode a deathclaw, you do know how lucky you are? Right smoothskin?” He asked, taking her hand and guiding her upstairs.

Rachel nodded and smiled up at him. “I do know. I’m sorry I scared you. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to take my pants off.”

“Well,” Charon grinned, kissing her lightly. “Don’t let me stand in your way.”


	36. Chapter 36

 

Rachel was up before Charon and she didn’t know what to do with herself. She’d never been awake first before. She’d been up all night waiting for it to be acceptable to stop pretending to sleep but she’d actually never woken up before he did.

They’d been home for two days now and she was bored just like Charon had predicted. With little else to do Rachel woke up Wadsworth and asked him to make coffee. He informed her that today would be the last of what was stored in the house.

Rachel sighed at the news, wondering idly where they could find more as she tied a red and white checkered apron on. The bottom corner was yellowed with age but all in all it was in pretty good condition.  

She’d decided that she would make Charon breakfast. That’s the kind of domestic thing girls did for the men they… _woke up before_ …

Even in her head it sounded lame but she just wasn’t ready to explore the feelings she’d developed for the surly ghoul.

* * *

 

Charon woke slowly and he reached for the woman he gotten accustomed to sleeping next too. When all his fingers found was a cold empty bed his eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright, searching the room.

No Rachel.

He spotted her boots still lying against the wall where she’d kick them off and half panicked. She never left without her boots and why did the house smell like smoke?

Fire!

He was yanking on his leather pants when he heard movement downstairs and paused. He could hear Rachel singing along with the radio. It was Civilization by the sound of it. So the house probably wasn’t on fire. Ray wouldn’t be singing if it was.

Charon left his boots next to Rachel’s and padded downstairs barefoot. She was in the kitchen doing something on the stove. It didn’t smell burned and there was a lot less smoke down here so he figured she couldn’t have been at it that long.

Rachel couldn’t cook worth a shit.

The apron she was wearing did nothing to hide the fact that she was naked underneath and he smiled, enjoying the view as her hips bounced along with the beat pouring out of the radio.

Charon decided then and there that he’d let her cook three square meals a day and eat them with a smile on his face if she’d do it in nothing but that apron.

Charon came up behind her and wrapped his arms around waist, bending slightly to rest his chin on her shoulder.  “That looks… _good_.”

She smiled, leaning back into his chest. “Surprised?”

“Yeah, a lot.”

“Wadsworth gave me instructions.” She told him, folding an omelet carefully.

“Madam lacks a certain finesse in the kitchen.” The Mr. Handy commented from the next room. He sounded tired.

“Mm…how many have you already thrown away?” Charon asked, kissing just behind her earlobe.

Rachel smiled, not looking up from her pan. “Don’t worry about it.”

Rough hands slid across her hips and Charon chuckled into her hair. “Would you like me to take over?”

“No.” Rachel shook her head. “I wanted to make you breakfast and I’ll do it if it kills me.”

Charon nibbled her ear, feeling playful. “Just so long as is doesn’t kill _me_.”

“Oh fuck off asshole.” Rachel swatted at him with her spatula but he dodged, laughing.

She slid the omelet onto a chipped plate and handed it to him. “There, how’s that?”

Charon accepted the fork she offered and poked at the food. “It looks normal.”

“It’s not poisoned.” Rachel shot him a half hearted glare and then bit her lower lip, “I don’t think.”

Charon sniffed the food on the end of his fork, shrugged and slid the utensil into his mouth. Rachel watched him while he chewed and swallowed. He enjoyed the way she fidgeted, awaiting his judgment.

“It’s not half bad smoothskin.” He finally told her, forking up another bite.

The grin that split her face reminded him of dawn breaking over the wasteland. “Really? You’re not just saying that?”

He kissed her softly and shook his head, “I _can’t_ lie to you. You know that kid.”

Rachel squeaked and threw her arms around his neck. He dropped his fork but managed to keep his breakfast out of harm’s way, hugging her close with one arm.

Charon kissed her harder and Rachel sighed into his mouth. “I was thinking while I was cooking.”

“Oh?” He asked, eating with his fingers instead of trying for the fork.

“Yeah,” she traced a finger along the couture of his abs. It was very distracting. “I was thinking I want to get my tattoo fixed. Is there anywhere in the Capitol Wasteland we can go so that could happen?”

“Smoothskin I didn’t know tattoos even still existed until I saw yours.” Charon told her as she moved back to the kitchen counter.

“Really?” Her shoulders fell and it hurt him to see her so disappointed.

“um…” He groaned, his mind blanking out somewhere between finding a solution to get her what she wanted and avoiding the fact that her disappoint affected him way too much for comfort.

Charon accepted the steaming mug of coffee Rachel handed to him and he set his food down on the counter.

Rachel cocked her head and looked at him as she handed him a clean fork. The man had the strangest look on his face. “Charon?”

“We can go to wherever it was that you had it done in the first place.” He suggested quickly, taking another bite.

“I don’t know about that…” Rachel was shaking her head before she even started speaking. Her eyes were even getting a little panicked.  “New Vegas is a really long way away and you don’t know anyone there and there is a lot of wildlife that will try to kill us and-.”

“ _Rachel!_ ” Charon broke through her panicked babbling. He’s set down his coffee and took her shoulders in his hands. “We don’t have to go to New Vegas today. But I don’t think you should avoid it. I know you must miss Boone, whenever you wanna go I shall follow.”

She bit her lower lip and chewed it gently. “It has been almost two years since I’ve seen Boone. But Charon after what I did to him, how can he still want me as a daughter?”

“Rachel it was out of your control and you didn’t leave immediately. From what you’ve told me you guys held each other together. I’m sure he misses you as much as you miss him.” They looked at each other for a minute and Charon cleared his throat. He let go of her and turned to scrape the last of his eggs off the plate. “Now I’m going to go get a beer at Gob’s and no one is to ever know we had a talk this emotional.”

Rachel nodded, taking his plate and heading to the kitchen to hide her watery eyes. “Absolutely. I’m gonna clean my guns.”

“Which ones?” He asked, running upstairs to get his boots.

“All of them.”

“That’s my girl.” He yelled down the stairs. A minute later Charon was out the door and Rachel had thirteen pistols laid out on the couch.

* * *

 

When Charon got home a couple hours later Rachel was just finishing polishing up a heavy incinerator they’d picked off a super mutant.

“Did you go little to big?”

“Yes.”

Charon chuckled, taking the finished weapon and storing it back in the locker.

“Hey Charon?” Rachel folded her legs under her and leaned back on the couch. “Thanks for what you said.”

The ghoul was more than a little surprised that what he’d said helped. “You’re welcome smoothskin.”

“So, I think tomorrow I wanna take a trip to Vegas.”

“And I shall follow.” He told her easily.

“So!” Rachel clapped her hands. “I’m gonna go pack! And I’m gonna stay excited so I don’t spook.”

She was up the stairs before he could even process what had happened. Apparently they were going on a trip. Charon tracked her with his eyes up to their bedroom and smiled. It was moments like these that he felt like he almost like he was human. Like the bombs had never fallen and he had a lovely housewife.

They would have had a house in the suburbs. They would have argued over what color to paint the shutters and he would have white washed their picked fence every spring.

Charon stopped those thoughts cold in his mind. The war had happened. He was a corpse and as long as he had his contract Rachel could never be one hundred percent his. If someone were to take that damned piece of paper even now and ordered him to kill her he would. He’d do it as quickly as he could to spare her as much as possible but he’d do it. He’d do it and he’d get a sick sense of euphoria for completing a difficult order.

With a sigh Charon set his coffee cup in the sink and headed upstairs to pack as well.

If only there was a way to destroy his contract. His loyalty was to it though so if she tried he’d be compelled to kill her. And he wouldn’t be able to comply if she ordered him to destroy it himself.

Someday not too far away Rachel would be gone from his life.

Either she’d be killed in battle or his contract would switch hands for one reason or another. Hell she could die in an accident of maybe even of old age. At best he only had 60 or 70 years left with her.

He entered the bedroom and Rachel’s smile turned hesitant. “What’s wrong?”

She sat up a little from where she’d been laying provocatively, waiting for him.

Charon’s eyes traveled over her perfect naked skin and pushed his fears to the back of his mind. One day he would lose her but today she was his and he was going to make the most of every second.

“It’s nothing,” He assured her, “You’re gorgeous.”

“So are you,” she purred and Charon grinned, a predatory gleam that always managed to send goose bumps rolling over her flesh sparking in his pale eyes.

 

* * *

 

Gob shielded his eyes against the early morning sun. It was reflecting off of Claws’ metal armor. In all his life he didn’t think he’d ever see anything as impressive as Claws in his battle armor. The deathclaws armor was complete with a spiked face plate and boots. Rachel called them boots anyway; really they just covered the tops of his feet. If they were full boots Gob didn’t think the deathclaw would be able to run.

“You’re really going all the way to Vegas?”

“Yep,” Charon answered, strapping a pack with extra water and camping supplies to Claws.

“How far is it?” the younger ghoul asked.

Rachel fed Claws a piece of jerky, petting him absently. She had been flipping between resigned determination and excitement since yesterday. “It’s about twenty-five hundred miles. If we don’t run into too much trouble on the road we should hit Novac in ten or twelve weeks. About three months.”

Gob cursed under his breath, impressed with the distance she’d come to reach their little ramshackle part of the world.

“Are you ready?” Charon asked, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Rachel giggled nervously and both the ghouls found the sound a little unnatural. “As I’ll ever be.”

Rachel Gave Gob a tight hug and after a moment of hesitation he hugged her back.

“Be safe Gob.”

“You too. Promise you’ll both come back alright?” he told her softly. He had a horrible sense of disaster that was making his chest tight.

“We’ll do our best, I know I already told them but tell Nova and Jericho we said goodbye okay.”

“Sure kid, and don’t worry. I’ll keep your house safe while you guys are gone.”

Gob and Charon exchanged a firm handshake and then it was time to leave. Rachel never thought she’d stay in Megaton forever but she’d never really thought about leaving it either. The town had become her home one night when she hadn’t been looking and leaving today seemed a lot like she’d never be back. Her eyes even burned just a little but she didn’t let herself cry. That would just make Charon worry about her.

They did make a point of swinging into Underworld and they spent the night there. The ghouls even threw together a last minute going away party for them. By the end of it there were a lot of drunken ghouls passed out around town but Charon and Rachel hadn’t gone past a light buzz. They had a lot of ground to cover and neither of them wanted to start a long trip hung over.

Carol did cry when she hugged them goodbye and this time Rachel did have a couple tears leak from the corners of her eyes.

Charon grunted when the woman hugged him warmly but he did manage an awkward hug in return much to Rachel’s amusement. Carol it seemed saw Charon as another adopted son.

It was early in the morning when they left on foot and as impossible as it seemed by nightfall Rachel found herself looking over the highway that had guided her so long ago.

It felt strange.

By the end of the first week she was used to the tight ball of nerves the continuously hummed at the base of her spine. She was even able to ignore it most of the time. Traveling through unfamiliar territory with unfamiliar hostiles helped to distract her. It kept her focused on the task at hand instead of facing her past demons.

Aggressive winds started to hit them in Indiana and they pushed south to avoid the deathly sandstorms that swept the large area around the great lakes. Despite being well out of the danger zone they still had to travel through high wind that kicked up the dust.

It was bad enough that Rachel used her spare goggles, a leather belt, and duct tape to make a Claws’ sized pair. He shook his head a couple times when she first put them on but as soon as he figured out it kept the grit from his eyes he stopped fussing.

It was slower going with Claws’ range of vision cut in half. It was worse because all the dust in the air was messing with his sense of smell and he only had the one good eye to begin with. Fortunetly Rachel had ridden him a lot since that first time and the deathclaw trusted her enough to obey her directions.

Charon had his goggles on too and like Rachel he was wearing a storm chasers hat with the scarf wrapped securely around his face. He had his gun out but the wasteland was uncommonly deserted.

 It was unsettling but the wind picking up it was likely a big storm was moving in.

“Charon!” Rachel yelled over the wind.

“Yeah?”

“I think the wind is getting worse! We should find a place to make camp.”

“Agreed! There was a sign about a mile back for a Super Duper Mart. Look for that in another mile or so!” Charon yelled, using all his military training to scan the area.

It took a half an hour but they found what they were looking for. The mostly in tact Super-Duper Mart was thankfully unlocked. Charon insisted on going in first to make sure there weren’t any gangs of raiders hiding inside.

Rachel agreed but only on the terms that she and Claws check the perimeter outside. Charon kissed her once and told her to be careful. Rachel hefted her rifle and crept along the outside of the building. Claws followed, as alert as he could be in the turning weather.

She turned the corner to the back side of the decrepit store and dropped into a crouch. A mole-rat sized creature was sitting on its haunches in a sheltered corner of a dumpster. It had a large egg balanced between its thighs and it was scratching at the eggs surface with sharp looking claws.

It almost reminded her of the giant rats in New Vegas except it hand dark fur and a longer body. Behind her Claws growled and the creature looked up, long fangs hanging under twitching whiskers.

The animal made a feral hissing sound and scampered off. Claws darted after it and in seconds Rachel couldn’t see him at all. The cloudy dust was just too thick.

Rachel stayed crouched and inched forward. She slid her fingers over the hard shell of the egg and sighed in relief. It wasn’t damaged. Charon might be able to tell her if it was dead and whether or not they could eat it.

She’d love to return it to its mother but in this climate it would be impossible. Hell, right now her goggles where so caked in dust she couldn’t even identify what kind of egg it might be. Maybe a giant Gecko. They laid eggs about the same size.

Rachel poked in the dumpster and then behind it and she grimaced. There were two more eggs on the other side but they had been cracked open and the insides consumed. Rachel sighed and opened her jacket, intending to slip the surviving egg inside but it was too tight a fit. Instead she settled it into her pack, making sure it was wrapped in her thread bare blanket first.

A shadow in the dust moved to her right and she smiled in Claws’ direction. She could see his head cocking back and forth.

“Over here boy,” his head snapped in her direction and he advanced through the cloud. Rachel’s eyes went wide when the deathclaw came into focus and she gently set down her pack.

“ _Shit_ ,” She whispered, slipping her rifle into her hands. It looked a little smaller then Claws and it had patches of long white fur. This was not her Claws. The deathclaw was staring at her with two perfectly good eyes.

It let out a furious roar and charged. Rachel swore again and fired once before running for all she was worth. Over the wind she couldn’t hear the beasts footfalls but she could feel them though her boot.

Rachel threw herself around the next corner and her heart nearly stopped in her chest as she slammed into a buss some asshole had parked too close to the building two hundred years ago. Rachel gulped and whirled, bring her gun up. She pulled the trigger but her weapon jammed. Cursing and desperate she threw the gun at the slowly advancing deathclaw. The creature actually watched the weapon fly uselessly over it’s shoulder and Rachel could almost swear she heard it chuckle.

The deathclaw turned its attention back to her and snarled, raising its arm to deliver the killing blow. Rachel couldn’t help it, pressed her back tightly against the bus blocking her escape and screamed.

The next thirty seconds seem like slow motion. Over the wind and the pounding of her own heart Rachel heard a furious roar. Then, glorious in metal armor, Claws appeared. He skidded to a halt between his mother and her attacker. He snarled, hurling himself forward. He bashed into the smaller deathclaw, taking it to the ground. They fought furiously, the sound alone wasn’t something Rachel would ever forget.

Charon appeared at her side while she watched, terrified for her pet and he grabbed her hand.

“Move!” he yelled in her ear, dragging her along.

The hairy deathclaw saw her slipping away and tried to follow but Claws knocked it to the ground and planted a heavy foot on its throat. Claws roared at it and Rachel tugged Charon, pointing.

The attacking deathclaw gurgled something and instead of finishing it off Claws cocked his head. The deathclaw gurgled something else and Claws very slowly let it up. He didn’t move from between it and his people though.

Charon growled something about Claws being unreliable against his own kind and planted himself between Rachel and the animals.

The deathclaws exchanged a few more growls and Claws looked at them with his good eye. The other deathclaw slowly followed Claws up to them and while he stayed planted firmly between he didn’t attack when the hairy deathclaw looked around him and directly at Rachel.

Rachel blinked and the deathclaw let out a long foul breathed sigh. “Please…Forgive my rudeness…”

The words were guttural and slowly spoken but spoken they were.

“You talk!” Rachel squeaked while Charon stared.

“Indeed.” The deathclaw replied. It sounded female. “A… thief… stole… my eggs. I… lost my… temper.” She explained carefully. “The big one… says you… are… good… to us. But I… smell …eggs on… you. Where… are… they… human?”

“Claws talks!” she glared at Claws. “Why didn’t you say anything you bastard…wait. That’s not important.” Rachel gulped and eased out from behind Charon. “I saw an animal trying to eat one. Claws chased it off and I put your egg in my pack. It’s just back around that corner.”

The Mother Deathclaw nodded and turned, stalking away. Rachel started to follow but neither Charon nor Claws would let her move. The hairy deathclaw returned a couple minutes later with both Rachel’s pack and her gun held in her teeth.

She set them on the ground at Claws’ feet and Rachel slipped to the front. She undid the ties and held up the egg. The mother took it gently and motioned with her head that they should follow.

Rachel and Charon exchanged glances and finally Rachel shrugged. Claws had already started walking. The mother led the way to the Super-Duper Marts front doors and pushed through them.

She set her egg in a shopping cart and turned to face them. “It is… odd. To find… humans …traveling… with one of… us. Especially… one… without… speech.”

“Without speech? But you said he did talk.” Rachel was confused.

“He cannot… speak in… human. We… have our own… ways to… communicate. I am… curious. How did… you come to… be… his mother?” the Mother settled on the floor by her egg and Rachel put an affectionate hand on Claws.

“I was in the right place at the right time.” She explained. She went on to tell the Mother how she’d found him and how he’d followed her into the metro tunnels.

The Mother chuckled. “You… are an odd… human. Many …others would… have ended… his life. Instead …you work… to… prolong it. He calls… you… mother. He calls… your… mate… father.”

Charon choked on the water he’d been sipping and Rachel blushed bright red. “How do you know-“

“Child…I can… smell you on… each other.” The Mother chided kindly.   

“Oh,” Rachel busied herself with removing Claws’ armor. She didn’t like to make him sleep in it and they should be safe enough inside tonight. “So do you live here?”

“No.” she answered. “I …live with… my fellows… to the …north. I stay tonight …because… I am curious. You and your family are intriguing,”

“She’s insane.” Charon grumbled to the Mother, handing Rachel a box Cram.

“Perhaps.” the deathclaw agreed. “But then… you too... must… be… insane… for staying… with her.”

Rachel burst out laughing and Charon cracked a smiled. “Maybe you’re right.”

Rachel set the last of Claws’ armor in a neat pile next to her things and her boy licked the whole right side of her face. He made some gurgling noising and The Mother nodded. “He …wants you… both to… know… he says… thank you. He… knows without… you… he would… not… have… survived. He… says… he… loves you.”

“Awe,” Rachel scratched his chin and smiled. “We love you too.”

“It is… late… child. You should… sleep. In… the… morning …I will …escort you… to the edge ….of my… territory… if that is… what… you wish. The youngers… have not… yet gained… their… intelligence.” The mother offered and Rachel nodded.

She and Charon laid out their bedrolls next to each other’s after finishing up a quick meal. Claws settled next to The Mother and gurgled at her quietly. Rachel fell asleep to the sound of chatting deathclaws.

Charon closed his eyes but he didn’t sleep. Talking or not they were still in the company of a strange deathclaw.

* * *

 

In the morning The Mother took them to the edge of her clan’s territory and bid them a safe journey. Rachel waved goodbye enthusiastically from Claws’ back.

After they’d walked for about twenty minutes Charon looked up at Rachel. “That was a weird night…even for us.”

Rachel started laughing and nodded, “Yeah, it was. But we met a hairy talking deathclaw! How fucking awesome is that!!”

Charon nodded. “And we’re even still alive.”


	37. Chapter 37

  
Novac.

  
Rachel could see it in the distance. The giant dinosaur looked just the same as it always had in the early evening hours. In just a handful more minutes Boone would have them focused in the crosshairs on his rifle and there would be no turning back.

  
Rachel straightened and tugged back on the leather reins she used the guided Claws.

The deathclaw halted and swiveled his head to question her. Charon looked up at her too but there was more understanding in his ghostly eyes.

  
“It’s getting late. Do you want to make camp?” He asked gently. “That dinosaur is Novac right? We don’t have to go into town tonight.”

  
Rachel sighed and shook her head, that tight ball of nerves at the base of her spine was humming so powerfully she was surprised Charon hadn’t asked what that buzzing sound was.

  
“No, Boone should be in the snipers nest right now. He’s probably already spotted us. Anyway I think it’s best to just get this out of the way.” Rachel climbed down from Claws and unstrapped her pack. She slung it over her shoulder and unclipped Claws’ reins.

  
“I don’t think it will be nearly as bad as you’re envisioning.” Charon told her but she just grumbled a little and he knew she didn’t believe him.

  
She left his armor and the rest of their supplies loaded on him. She planned on unloading him later tonight when they knew whether or not they’d be staying. Part of her wanted to just bring him along too but it was never a good idea to ride the deathclaw into a town who hadn’t met her boy.

  
“Take a walk Claws. Stay close but out of sight.” Rachel told him. Claws nuzzled her affectionately and stalked off, tossing one last glance at them over his shoulder before he disappeared.

  
Charon adjusted his pack and scanned the open desert automatically. It was hot and unfamiliar here. Rachel had identified the animals they’d seen in the Mojave so far as coyotes and bighorners. Neither had been a problem but Rachel had told him about some of the other less docile creatures and like always he wanted to keep out a sharp eye.

  
Charon put a comforting hand on the small of Rachel’s back and she smiled up at him. He’s been doing his level best to ease her nerves and she did appreciate his effort.

  
“Well,” she sighed. “Are you ready?”

  
“Of course,” Charon nodded calmly. “Are you?”

  
She shrugged. “As I’ll ever be…”

  
It took twenty minutes to reach the little town of Novac. Rachel plastered a smile on her face and waved up into the snipers nest but her smile faded when Manny waved back. He gestured for her to come up and she nodded, her pace picking up to a light jog.

  
Rachel was reaching for the door to the T-Rex when Charon stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “What is it?”

  
Rachel glanced towards the door and then back to the ghoul, forcing herself to calm down. “The man up there was Manny Vargas. Not Boone. Manny is a gate sniper here too but he’s the _daytime sniper_. He shouldn’t be up there right now.”

  
“It’s been two years,” Charon tried to reason with her. “Maybe they changed shifts.”

  
“Maybe Boone’s gone.” she whispered and Charon gave her a little shake to snap her focus back onto him.

  
“Rachel, don’t work yourself up with if’s and maybes. Let’s go talk to this Manny fellow. I’m sure your father is fine.” Charon said the words forcefully and Rachel nodded. He was right of course.

  
She took one more steadying breath and pushed open the door. Rachel stepped into the musty little gift shop and smiled at the man counting caps on the counter.

  
“I’m sorry but I’m closed. Come back tomorrow.” Cliff said without looking up.

  
“What if I said I wanted to buy one thousand T-Rex toys?” Rachel smiled a little more genuinely.

  
Cliff’s head snapped up and he grinned. “Rachel! You haven’t blown through here in forever! How ya been girl?”

  
“I been survivin’.” Rachel told him and Charon noticed her accent had thickened just a little. It was adorable. “You?”

  
“’bout the same.” He asked softly. “Have you seen Boone yet?”

  
“No?” Rachel said it like a question and the man sighed. “Manny waved me up as we came through the gates. Why isn’t Boone on shift?”

  
“He-” Cliff’s gaze slid to Charon and his eyes widen. “A new friend Ray?”

  
“Oh, Cliff this is Charon. He’s my partner.” She explained moving towards the stairs. “I’m thinkin’ I really need ta talk ta Manny.”

  
Charon nodded to the little man behind the counter and followed Rachel. She led him up a narrow staircase and opened the door to the noticeably cooler night air. A dark skinned man with a sniper rifle and dressed in a merc adventure outfit pulled Rachel into a tight hug.

  
Charon bristled and gritted his teeth, his hands balling into fists at his sides. How dare this smoothskin asshole touch his woman. What was worse was that Rachel’s arms slid around him easily and she was squeezing him back with just as much affection.

  
“I’m so glad you’re back in town Rachel. Truly.” The human man whispered in her ear, slowly releasing her. Much too slowly for Charon’s taste.

  
Manny looked up at the scowling ghoul and took a quick step back, his hand settling on his rifle instinctively. Charon pulled his shotgun from his back, daring the man to fire on him with his eyes. Rachel cocked an eyebrow and looked between them before Charon’s ridged scowl clicked in her mind.

  
“Charon,” She said tenderly, “This is Manny Vargas, we’re old friends.”

  
“I see that,” Charon grunted and pulled her against him, his free arm sliding possessively around his waist. Manny put his hands up and step back again, his legs bumping against Dinky’s teeth.

  
“Charon I’ve never seen you jealous before. Not this jealous anyway…It’s kinda cute but there’s no threat here. I promise.” Rachel patted his chest affectionately, “Old Manny here is more likely to be attracted to you rather than me.” She gave him a pointed look and Charon looked between the two smoothskin.

  
“Attracted to me…” Charon repeated and then he caught what Rachel was telling him.

“Oh! Really?”

  
When the humans both nodded he relaxed and slung his gun back over his shoulder.

“That’s fine then,” he growled and stuck out his hand. “Charon.”

  
Manny lifted his eyebrows in surprise and took the ghouls offered hand, “Manny.”

  
“Now,” Rachel put her hands on her hips.

“What’s going on? Why isn’t Boone up here and why did Cliff ask whether or not I’ve seen him yet. He asked me that like Boones on his death bed!”

  
Manny sighed and adjusted his first recon beret. “Ray, after Carla you and he both took it hard. I remember you two were attached at the hip. Always locked in his house and half in the bag. Nothin’ wrong with that,” he added quickly when Rachel scowled. “But after you left you pulled yourself together. Boone didn’t.”

  
“Boone…” Rachel whispered.

  
“I’m pulling a double tonight because Boone…well…Ray he’s not fit to carry his rifle right now. It’s been worse this last week. Old Ranger Andy has been taking the nighttime shifts but the old man has a couple buddies up from the ranger station tonight. He’s taking my day shift tomorrow.”

  
Manny rubbed his tired eyes. “I know why it’s worse this week but I gotta’ tell ya’ kid…I’m worried for him. Even though he doesn’t speak to me anymore I’m afraid he’s gonna do something stupid real soon.”

  
Rachel eyes were watery by the time Manny finished with his update on what had been going on in her absence. Of course it’s worse this week. Tomorrow was the second anniversary of Carla’s death if the date on her Pipboy was right.

  
“I never should have left him here alone.” she whimpered quietly. “He wasn’t ready to be alone and I abandoned him anyway. If I’d stayed maybe he-“

  
“ _Rachel_ ,” Charon growled, cutting her off. He took her shoulders and made her look at him. “If you had stayed you would very likely be in the same state. You needed to leave to protect your mind and you did. Never feel guilty about that.”

  
Rachel got ahold of herself and nodded, trusting Charon. She looked back at Manny when she was steady enough to keep talking. “Hasn’t anyone tried to talk to him? Haven’t you? You’re his best friend!”

  
“Not anymore,” Manny told her sadly. “He got it into his head that I was glad Carla was gone. The man hasn’t spoken a word to me in over a year. Others have tried too. There’s a pretty little ginger girl in town that seems to have made it her mission to get him to talk to her. She a courier I think. You’re age or a little older maybe. So far I think all he’s done is slam the door in her face. Once I was out having a smoke and I heard him yelling up here about how he was going to throw her out of Dinky’s mouth if she didn’t leave him alone.

  
Funny thing is when she came down she was grinnin’ and when I asked her why she said it’s cause he finally said a whole sentence to her.”

  
Manny shook his head and lit a cigarette before offering the pack to his guests. Both Charon and Rachel accepted the offering gratefully. “She’s stayin’ with a doctor and a couple of other women in the room next to yours if you wanna talk to her.”

  
Rachel nodded and took a long drag. “I might later but I think I’ll try Boone first. I suppose he’s home?”

  
Manny just nodded with that miserable look in his dark eyes.

  
One more cigarettes and a short walk later Rachel and Charon found themselves standing in front of a rundown little bungalow. There weren’t any lights on inside but when Rachel looked through the windows she was sure the dark outline on the otherside of the room was Boone in a recliner.

  
She knocked softly and they waited.   
Nothing.

  
Rachel knocked harder and there was a grunt from somewhere inside that sounded like a slurred “Go away,”

  
Rachel tried the door and clenched her teeth.

  
It was locked.

  
“Boone open the door,” She called out, trying not the wake the whole town. She didn’t want a spectacle.

  
There was _another go_ away followed by something that sound a whole hell of a lot like _bitch._

  
“Son of a… if he won’t let me in I’ll let myself in.” Rachel growled under her breath and pulled a screwdriver and a bobby pin out of her pocket.

  
“Maybe we should come back in the morning,” Charon suggested behind her. If this man was as far gone as people were saying then he was closer to a wounded animal than the father Rachel remembers.

Ray was good with animal be he’d hate to have to hurt the man to protect Rachel from both Boone and probably herself.

  
“No, Boone can be a pissy drunk but he’s fuckin’ mean when he’s hung over. Besides if I have to fight him I’d rather do it while he’s cocked.” She muttered, setting to work on the lock.

  
“You won’t be fighting him.” Charon growled behind her. “I won’t allow him to lay a finger on you.”

  
“He doesn’t know you. If he needs some sense beaten into him I’m asking you to please…” Rachel looked up for a moment and met her lover’s milky blue eyes, “Please let me handle it.”

  
She hadn’t meant it to be an order but Charon knew that tone of voice and sighed. “If you insist but I don’t like it.”

  
The lock clicked open and two shotguns cocked behind her. Rachel turned in surprise and found a petite ginger haired girl holding a hunting shotgun aimed at her face and Charon’s shotgun aimed at the ginger.

  
The ginger ignored the ghoul and focused on Rachel. “Who are you? And why are you breaking into my friend’s home?”

  
Rachel stood slowly and dropped her screwdriver back into her pocket. “My name is Rachel Boone. My father lives here and I’ve heard he’s not himself. I’m here to help but the ass won’t open the door.”

  
“How do I know you’re not some legion assassin sent to kill him off? He’s never said anything about having daughter.” The girl said quietly.

  
“I very much doubt he’s said anything personal about himself to anyone in the last couple years. Craig’s never been much of a talker. Besides, Legion doesn’t let women in their military.”

  
The girl’s eyes slid the Charon and she paused, blinking at him and then she shook her head as if to clear it. “If you’re his daughter why doesn’t he open the door and let you in?”  
“Because he’s drunk off his ass and I’ve been on the east coast the last two years. He doesn’t know I’m back. I’m tellin’ you the truth and you’re makin’ Charon nervous. Please put your gun away so Charon doesn’t shoot you. I don’t want to have to explain to Manny and Ranger Andy and everyone else who runs Novac why my partners leaving bodies all over the place.”

  
The girl thought about it for a few long seconds and finally she lowered her shotgun. Charon lowered his weapon too but he didn’t put it away.

  
“I hear you’ve been tryin’ to get Boone to talk to you. Why?” Rachel asked, curious.

  
The girl shrugged. “Honestly? I don’t know. I just feel like he’s about as lost as me.” She held out her hand. “I’m Six.”

  
“Six?” Rachel asked accepting the offered hand.

  
“Yep, I suppose I have a name-name but I don’t remember it. Some asshole shot me in the head a few months back and I don’t remember a whole lot before that. All I know is that I’m Courier Six from the Mojave Express so that’s what most people call me.”

  
“hmm,” Rachel mused. “It’s funny. You look familiar, I did some courier work a few years back, maybe we’ve crossed paths before?”

  
“Possible, I feel like I recognized you two too. If you remember let me know. Every little bit helps.” the girl grinned and glanced at the door. “Sorry if I seem mistrusting but mind if I stand out here in case you try and kill my buddy?”

  
She asked so politely that Rachel actually chuckled. “Sure, you can keep Charon company.”

  
“Not a chance,” the ghoul growled.  
“Charon, I’m going in alone. It will go better if it’s just me.” She told him, glancing back at the door with a worried expression. “Stay out here.”

  
Charon growled at her but stayed rooted to the ground. That had been an order and sleeping together or not Rachel was still his employer. He couldn’t disobey no matter how stupid he thought she was being.

  
Rachel turned the knob and silently slid into the dark room. The stench alone was enough to make her fear that she was too late. That maybe he’d drunken himself to death weeks ago. Rachel heard a groan and some light snoring from a chair in the corner of the room and she switched on her Pipboy light.

  
There he was.

  
He was passed out in filthy clothes and had a greasy unkempt beard. His beret and sunglasses where on the end table next to him along with a scoped .44, a bunch of empty bottles and what looked like an ash tray hiding under a mountain of cigarette butts. Insects buzzed around old forgotten food and there was definitely vomit somewhere close by.

  
“Oh Craig,” Rachel whisper, her heart was breaking for him. Rachel switched off her Pipboy light and lit a couple lanterns. The house was even worse in the light.

  
She knew better the to try to wake him up by touching him so instead slid her half-filled water bottle from its sling on her hip and unscrewed the cap. Rachel looked him over for a final second and then flicked her wrist; sending water steaming through the air to splatter on her father’s face.

  
Boone sputtered and jumped to his feet, simultaneously swinging his big fists and trying to blink the water from his eyes.

  
“Who the hell!”He roared, coming at her.

Rachel sidestepped at the last second like he had taught her years ago and Boone crashed into a table. The old card table snapped in half and it along with everything that had been balanced on top of it crashed into a heap with Boone on the floor.

  
“Boone!” she yelled but he wasn’t listening. He was fighting to get back to his feet and she saw that he’d cut a gash in his arm on something during his fall.

  
“Bitch, leave me alone!” he snarled, getting his feet under him and lunging again. His aim was off because he was squinting against the light and way past intoxicated.

This time Rachel lunged too and she tackled him to the floor.

  
He hadn’t been expecting that and went down hard. Boone tried to grab the throat of the troublesome woman straddling him but she dodged and punched him in the temple as hard as she could.

  
Craig Boone stilled as his vision blurred and he saw stars. He squeezed his watering eyes shut against the pain in his head and the woman moved. He stayed where he was. She’d either kill him finally or get bored and go away.

  
Either was fine bye him.

  
In the next second he felt his sunglasses slide into place on his nose and he blinked.

The darkened room came into focus and he looked up at a very different girl than he’d been expecting to see standing over him.

She was frowning down at him with her hands on her hips.

  
“Ray…?” he sounded like he didn’t believe what he was seeing.

  
“Hey Boone. It’s been awhile.” she said, offering him a hand up.

  
“You’re dead.” he told her.

  
“I’m not.” She shook her head. “I’m right here. I’ve just been away for a while.”

  
Boone accepted her hand and she hauled him to his feet. Boone looked her up and down and then he looked around the place that was supposed to be his home. For the first time in two years he felt something other than the anger and the grief. He felt embarrassed.

  
“You…ah… you look good kid.” he grumbled.  
“Thanks,” she said quietly. “You look like hell. Boone what’s happened to you. Never mind. I know what happened.” She said quickly when he looked away. “But Craig you can’t keep going like this.” She put a carful hand on his shoulder. “It’s time to wake up.”

  
“I’m fine Rachel.”

  
“You’re not.” She said firmly. “If you were fine you would have bathed this year and you’d be performing your duties as nighttime sniper instead of passed out in your own vomit.”

  
It was harsh, she knew that, but he needed to hear it.

  
“Why bother tryin’? nothing matters anymore. I’m just waiting for it all too finally be done with me. I’ve got bad things coming to me Rachel. You’d better keep your distance before you end up dead too.” While he’d talked Rachel had guided him to a kitchen chair and gotten him to sit without him even noticing.

  
“We’ve both done terrible things Boone. But here’s the thing about people like us, we are fuckin’ hard to kill. Over the last two years I’ve tested that several times and I’m still kickin’.” Rachel got some bandaged and disinfectant out of the med kit in the bathroom. The smell in there was even worse than it had been in the kitchen.

  
She cleaned the gash on his bicep while she talked to him and way back in his alcohol addled mind he realized he’d missed having someone, anyone, really talk to him.

  
“Boone… Carla would sob if she could see you now. Tomorrow…well you know what tomorrow is. She’s gone but we’re still walking these broken roads. We’re alive. You are alive.”

  
“I shouldn’t be. I killed my wife Rachel.” he whispered the words and she shook her head.

  
“No Boone. The legion killed her. And- and I’m the one who pulled the trigger. Her blood is on _my hands._ Not yours.” Rachel felt a tear roll down her cheek but she ignored it.

  
“You did it for me.” he grumbled miserably.

  
“I did it for _her._ ” She whimpered and she sniffed softly. Boone blinked and focused on her fully for the first time since she’d woken him up.

  
“Ray?”

  
“Yeah?” she asked, finishing up his arm and wiping her eyes.

  
“I’m really glad you came back. I think…I think I’m gonna take a bath.” He said with all the seriousness of the man she used to know. Rachel nodded and giggled. It was something about the way he’d said it and the fragile state of her emotions that produce the sound bubbling up from her throat.

  
Boone snorted, getting shakily to his feet.

“It’s not funny.”

  
“Yes it is,” she laughed, “Because you really need a bath Boone. You reek.”

  
Boone scowled but she could tell he wasn’t really angry. “You don’t smell too great yourself kid.”

  
“I just walked three thousand miles. What’s your excuse?”

  
Boone grabbed his cigarettes and headed for the bathroom. “Fair enough.”

 

* * *

  
When Rachel crossed the threshold of the building Charon grabbed her and pulled her flush against his hard body. “You should have let me go with you. Did he harm you?”

  
“No?”

  
“You’ve been crying!” Charon growled, touching the damp corner of her eye with his thumb. “Tell me where you’re hurt.”

  
“Yeah I cried a little but Boone didn’t hurt me. We talked a bit and I got emotional, with your super ghoul hearing I’m sure you heard.”

  
Charon nodded. “I did, I also heard a lot of swearing and a fight.”

  
“A fight that I won.” She assured him softly, leaning her head against his chest. “He’s sobering up now and he’s even gone to bathe so that’s good. I think I helped a little.”

  
Six cleared her throat and the two jumped apart. She waved her hand dismissively though. “Don’t quit cuddling on my account. Human ghoul relationships don’t bother me in the least. What I wanna say is congratulation on getting him to talk to you. And the bathing. _Especially_ the bathing. I’m glad somebody’s getting through to him.”

  
“Me too, but it helped that I was here for the cause a couple years ago. Guess I had something like a home field advantage.”

  
“Wanna share? I don’t have super ghoul hearing.” She grinned hopefully. “Only moderate ghoul hearing.”

  
“Sorry Six. You’ll have to get Boone to tell you. But since I feel like it would be good for him to do a little socializing you can help me clean up his place if you want. I’ll warn you. It’s bad.”

  
Charon hefted both his and Rachel’s packs. “I’ll put these in your room. Do you want me to bring anything back?”

  
Rachel handed over the keys. “All the rags and cleaner we have. Probably we should go unpack Claws too.”

  
Charon nodded and left.

  
Six was bouncing in place. She was a peppy little thing. “Let’s get to work! I’ve been trying to get into Boone’s house for a week!”

 

* * *

  
When Boone reappeared the girls and ghoul had worked a minor miracle. All the empty bottles were neatly stacked in wooden creates by the door. His front door and all the windows were open to let the room air out and outside he could see a metal barrel in his front yard with a blazing fire in it.

  
They’d burned all the trash and old food along with a vomit encrusted rug that was way beyond rescue. His counters had been scrubbed and his furniture was gone. It was probably outside waiting to be either cleaned or burned. Rachel was doing his dishes and the ginger haired girl named Six was washing curtains in a bucket on his stoop.

  
The biggest ghoul he’d ever seen was kneeling on the floor with an assortment of tools fixing the table he’d broken only a couple of hours ago.

  
He’d taken his time with the bath and then he’s shaved his face and head. It was a longer process than it should have been because he’d neglected the chores for so long. He’d even found a clean change of the clothes forgotten in his dresser.

  
Boone cleared his throat and three pairs of eye focused on him.

  
“Hey,” Rachel smiled, “There’s a man I recognize.”

  
“Yeah,” Boone nodded, glancing at the other two. “Who are these people?”

  
Rachel kept smiling. “Well, outside is Six. I believe she’s been stalking you the last week or so.”

  
Six waved with that sunny smile in place on her lips and Boone grunted. She had.

  
“And this…” Rachel moved to the ghoul who stood up to his full height. “This is Charon. He’s my partner all the way from D.C.”

  
Something about the way she’d said it made Boone instantly suspicious. “You don’t have partners. You always work alone… _you pay_ _him?_ ”

  
It was a loaded question. “We split both payment and expenses evenly.” Charon told the man steadily.

  
Boone grunted, unconvinced. “How long have you two been working together?”

  
He was asking Charon now, interrogating him like any good farther would when meeting the man traveling around the country with his only daughter.

  
Charon crossed his arms, keeping his face relaxed. “About a year and a half.”

  
“Are you sleeping with my daughter?” Boone asked flatly, wondering what Rachel had done with his .44. He’d fight the ghoul bare handed if he had too but that was a very big ghoul and Boone was out of practice.

  
“ _Boone_!” Rachel snapped but the men both ignored her.

  
“Yes.” Charon told him, chest puffing up just a little.

  
“Is it consensual?” Boone asked calmly, eyes flicking around in search of his .44 for half a second.

  
Charon considered the question while Rachel scowled at her adoptive father.   
“It is now.”

  
Boone’s expression turned hard while Rachel gave Charon a startled look, “And before?”

  
“Before I had to fight her off. She’s a very forceful woman when she wants something.” Charon told the ex-first recon sniper who nodded, his shoulders relaxing.

  
“That she is.” Boone said. Rachel was a tough girl. If the ghoul had forced himself on her Ray wouldn’t be traveling with him. in fact she would have probably killed him.

  
Rachel turned bright red. This was not how she’d envisioned this meeting going. “Fuck off asshole! I did not force myself on you!”

  
Charon chuckled, remembering the way she’d followed him half naked down stairs after he’d put her to bed that first night.

“Whatever you say… _dear_.”

  
Rachel gaped like a fish out of water for a long moment while Boone snorted and Charon stared her down, daring her to argue.

Rachel closed her mouth and grumbled. “I’m goin’ outside with Six. You too are clearly being affected by the fumes from the cleaning supplies.”


	38. Chapter 38

When Boone opened his eyes it was bright and sunny outside his windows. His head held a deep throbbing ache and his mouth was incredibly dry. He reached for the whiskey bottle on his nightstand but it wasn’t there. Boone scowled and sat up, looking around his freshly cleaned bedroom.

  
The lack of trash confused his alcohol withdrawn mind. That confusion tripled when he caught the scent of coffee in the air and the giggles of girls.

  
Boone’s scowl deepened and pulled on a pair of pants along with his sunglasses, heading out into the main room to find out what the hell was going on. His front door was open and he blearily wiped crusty crap from his eyes.

  
Charon was sitting on the stoop nursing a cup of coffee looking tired. The sight of the ghoul brought everything from the night before back to the forefront his mind. Boone quietly helped himself to the coffee pot on the stove before he stiffly shuffled to the door to join the ghoul. They grunt something akin to a good morning in the language of anti-social men and gazed out at the scene before them.

  
“What?” Boone asked, flicking a finger between the three women chasing each other around the hard packed dirt of Novac.

  
“I don’t know.” the ghoul sighed, cracking his neck.

  
Rachel, Six, and a third woman were running back and forth playing what looked like a rough game of tag. Apparently Rachel was “it” at the moment and she was running full speed after a dark haired girl wearing a hood. Six veered in close and darted up the motel stairs. Rachel swerved after her but the other girl had a good lead.

  
Six hit the ground at the bottom of the opposite steps and Rachel jumped the railing. Charon couldn’t stop the sharp inhale of breath and he growled when she rolled and caught Six by the ankle. The ginger girl fell face first into the dirt, laughing like they didn’t have a care in the world.

  
Rachel rolled onto her back and jumped to her feet, running away from Six yelling, “Veronica _run_! Six is it!”

  
“She’s going to break her neck.” Charon growled behind his coffee cup.

  
“How long have they been at this?” Boone grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose under his sunglasses. After months sitting in a dark silent room the shrill laughter of the women was doubling his hangover headache.

  
“Hours,” Charon groaned, sounding just as exhausted. “The other one showed up at dawn. I don’t think any of them have slept at all.”

  
“That’s not good for us.” Boone murmured.  
Charon nodded, “Not at all.”

  
Rachel skidded to a halt and pointed at them. The delight on her face sending a chill down Charon’s spine. “Hey! Boone and Charon are awake!”

  
“Christ,” Boone growled, stiffening. “We’ve been spotted.”

  
“Retreat.” Charon growled, getting to his feet.   
Boone nodded and followed the big ghoul inside, shutting the door in the girl’s faces.

  
It didn’t stop them.

  
Rachel had the lock picked in thirty seconds and then the women were in the house.

Veronica had disappeared but the other two were chattering at a speed that only caffeine high women could chatter.

  
“We’ve been infiltrated.” Boone muttered to Charon, holding his coffee mug close to his chest like shield.

  
“Charon let’s go play with Claws! Six is gonna love Claws!!” Rachel bounced, snatching a mug off the table and heading for the coffee pot.

  
“I think you should get some sleep. You’re loopy,” Charon told her, catching her by the back of her shirt and hauling her away from the coffee.

  
“Who is Claws?” Boone asked getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. “ _What_ is Claws?”

  
Rachel grinned, words tumbling out of her mouth while she ticked events off on her fingers. “Like I told you, I’ve tempted fate a lot since I’ve been away. I disarmed a live nuke. I burned a slaver town to the ground. I pissed off and got kidnapped buy a crazed ghoul chem lord. That was bad but Charon saved me. I’ll explain more about that later. I made Charon follow me into a vault filled with violently insane clones all named Gary and I adopted a baby deathclaw. Not in that order though. So what have you been up too Boone?”

  
“You adopted a deathclaw?” Boone asked slowly with raised eyebrows. “ _How_?”

  
“Well, I found him hiding under the body of his mother. He was so scared and small and hungry. Definitely a runt of the litter. Anyway I fed him, guess I was trying to give him one more day before the wasteland got him but he took a shine to me, started following me around.”

  
Boone glanced at Charon who nodded a confirmation.

  
Boone scowled at him. “You allowed that?”

  
“That one was before we met.” Charon told the other man. “I accepted a long time ago that she’s insane.”

  
Boone nodded and reluctantly followed the girls out into the sun. Even through his sunglasses the light hurt his head. He hadn’t been outside in the daylight in a long damn time. The people who were awake looked curiously at the group walking through town but nobody had the courage to stop and talk to them.

  
Rachel and Six took up the lead, guns out but chattering away about nothing at all as far as Charon could make out. Rachel led the way out away from the town of Novac. She took their group around towards the back of the town too so that they couldn’t be seen from the snipers nest.

  
Rachel spun on her heel and smiled, not seeing anything around that would cause trouble. “This is a good spot.”

  
Rachel whistled sharply and giggled, her eyes scanning the Mojave. A smile even tugged at the corner of Charon’s lips. Not because they were showing off their deadly pet but because it was good to see his smoothskin so happy. She’d been so tense for so long.

  
They felt Claws before they saw him. They could all feel the deep vibrations from his footsteps pulsing from the dirt beneath their boots. Instinctively everyone but Rachel and Charon reached for their weapons. Claws appeared from around a bluff, running full speed straight at them.

  
Six brought her gun up in the same second Boone did but Rachel grabbed both barrels and forced them down.

  
Claws slowed as he got closer and cocked his head, looking at the new people with his good eye.

  
“ _That_ is _not_ a runty little thing.” Boone growled, his knuckles white as he gripped his rifle.

  
“Well he isn’t anymore. He’s two years old now.” Rachel told her farther, stepping up to Claws. The deathclaw lowered his head to hers and sniffed her over, licking her face when he found her unharmed.

  
Rachel scratched under his chin and turned. “Claws. This is Boone and Six.” She pointed them out as she said their names. “They’re friends.”

  
It was all the permission he needed. Claws went down to all fours and approached Boone first, sniffing him from his boots to NCR beret. Boone stood stock still and Rachel could swear he looked a few shades lighter under his tan.

  
Claw’s turned his attention to Six and repeated the process. When he got to her face she giggled and he licked her, his tail slashing back and forth abruptly. The sudden movement sent dust and rocks showering over them all. Claws butted his head against her chest effectively knocking her on her backside while he licked her face.

  
Six’s giggles echoed across the desert and Rachel joined in. “I knew you’d love him!”  
Six pushed claws off of her and got back to her feet, wiping pink tinted saliva from her face with her sleeve. “He’s amazing! And probably the biggest deathclaw I’ve ever seen! Is he an alpha?”

  
Rachel took half a step back and looked him over. Claws drew himself up to his full height and cocked his head at her. He was big but he was a deathclaw. He’d certainly been bigger than the Mother they’d encountered but she hadn’t seen him in comparison to a regular adult deathclaw.

  
“I don’t know.”

  
“He might be, is he any good in a fight?” Six asked, looking up at him in awe.

  
“Amazing! We even have had armor made for him. He looks very handsome in it too, if I do say so myself.” Rachel was grinning like any proud mother bragging about her child.

  
“An armored deathclaw…” Six murmured.

“What I wouldn’t give to have one of those at my back when I kill Caesar.”

  
Charon cocked an eyebrow, not sure who Caesar was but Boone and Rachel were both staring at the petite girl.

  
“Say that again?” Boone asked quietly.

  
Six blushed a little but nodded. “I am going to kill Caesar. I’ve been to Fortification Hill and I wasn’t impressed with what I saw. His treatment of woman especially.”

  
Boone bristled, suddenly incredibly suspicious of the strange girl. “How did you get to fortification hill?”

  
“Through Cottonwood Cove.” She answered easily although Charon noticed how her hand had shifted on her hip so that it rested on her combat knife. “When I was on The Strip one on his spies found me and gave me a special medallion to get through there alive. Caesar wanted me to work for him but I have since declined.”

  
“Caesar doesn’t allow women in his army. Why would he make an exception for you?” Boone asked, his grip still tight on his gun. 

“It’s all because of this big Platinum poker Chip I was supposed to deliver to Mr. House. It’s why all this shit happened to me. Why I got shot in the head and why now have everyone and their fuckin’ brothers after me to work for them. Right now I’m siding with the NCR but I personally think it would be better if Vegas stayed independent. The NCR has it’s perks but sometimes I feel like too many people will get lost in the shuffle for long term government. The Mojave deservers better than being a number on a profit report.”

  
They all blinked at her a few times and Rachel blew out a long sigh. “So wait…did you meet Mr. House too?”

  
“Yes,” Six nodded her head and then blushed a little. “I actually kinda live in the Lucky 38.”

  
“ _What_!” Rachel and Boone both chirped. Charon just watched, he had no idea what they were talking about.

  
Six blushed a little brighter and nodded. “Yeah, I guess it’s kinda a big deal. You said you were planning on visiting The Strip right? You can stay with me if you want. So long as you don’t mind being around all my other friends too.”

  
Rachel clapped her hands and bounced in place. “Yes! We accept! I’ve always wanted to know what it was like inside the Lucky 38 and to kill Caesar you can absolutely ride Claws into battle. The legion boys will be wetting themselves when they see him!”

  
“You ride him?!” Six squeaked, eyes widening.

  
“Yes, it’s so much fun! You want too?” Rachel offered.

  
“Yes!”

  
Claws obediently sank to the ground when Rachel asked him too and she gave Six a quick crash course in how to control him without the reins they’d left back in town. Six was grinning like a fool when she clucked her tongue and Claws rose up to his feet.

  
Six nudged him with her heel and told him to charge. Claws took a hesitant step back and looked at Rachel but when she nodded he snorted and he lunged forward. Six held on for dear life while they sped across the desert. It was only a few seconds before they disappeared around a bluff.

  
Boone shifted uncomfortably. “How far will it take her?”

  
Charon cracked his fingers. “He’ll run until she turns him around or one of us whistles for him. It’s a handy trick when she gets trashed,” he jerked his head towards Rachel, “and takes off on him. The first time she did it he’d never even been ridden. She snuck out with a friend and they climbed up on his back. Gave me a damn near heart attack.”

  
Rachel raised her chin proudly, not even bothering to glare. “I regret nothing.”

  
“Where’s Six?” a female voice demanded behind them.

  
Three heads turned to stare at two more women. The girl from the earlier, Veronica and a red headed woman in washed out jeans and a rifle in her hands.

  
Charon instinctively shifted so Rachel was half hidden from view. She rolled her eyes and pushed pasted him. “Six is fine, I let her ride my deathclaw. They should be back soon. Claws won’t go too far with a stranger…I don’t think…”

  
The older woman scowled, “Do I look like I was born yesterday? I don’t believe a word of that. She’s riding your deathclaw. Sure. And I’m the fucking queen of New Vegas. Where is she really?”

  
Charon whistled sharply and gave the two strange girls a smug stare. “You can see for yourself.”

  
Claws reappeared as quickly as he’d disappeared and he skidded to a halt in front of Charon. How he could tell Rachel and Charon’s whistle apart from so far away was a mystery but so far he always went to who had called him. Claws did over shoot a little and had to drop his head to the ground to keep from crashing into the ghoul.

  
Six was flung over his horns and she rolled in the dust onto Charon’s boots laughing like an insane woman.

  
Rachel laughed and pointed, “Charon look! In New Vegas you have women falling at your feet! I can’t wait to see you in action on The Strip.”

  
Six’s friends had gone pale and their mouths were hanging open. Six blinked up at them a gasped, she’d had the wind knocked out of her. “You guys gotta’ try that!”

 

* * *

  
New Vegas was a beacon of light on the horizon. Charon looked at all the new faces in what probably now counted as a caravan. Mostly of women who at present were fawning over Claws like a fluffy new puppy.

  
Rachel had put on his “boots” and head plate before they headed out to discourage the odd sniper they might pass by. It would take a very big bullet to take Claws down anywhere other than his head in one shot so they hadn’t bothered with the rest of the heavy metal.

  
Claws, of course, was lapping up the new found attention. He stayed on all fours and walked with his head low so they could give him affection while they all walked together.

  
Charon shook his head and glanced over at Rachel’s scowling farther. He was here because she’d made him come. The man had had no interest at all in hoofing it across the wasteland on what he described as a “pointless waste of caps” but Rachel had badgered him about needing a change of scenery until finally he’d agreed.

  
They were on the road when it happened. Five people, a giant ghoul and a deathclaw were walking towards the lights of New Vegas, it sounded like the start of a bad joke.

How the NCR patrol had snuck up on them Charon would really like to know.

  
He suspected it was because there were so many new people for him to mistrust around his smoothskin that he wasn’t as focused on their surrounding as he should have been. It was a mistake that could cost them their lives.

  
One second they were walking down the road and the next second they had five soldiers aiming at them. Charon cursed under his breath and drew his own gun as did Cass. Rachel flipped her NCR beret onto her head and she and Six both stepped forward, hands up.

  
“Who are you and what’s your business?” an important looking woman in NCR armor demanded.

  
Rachel opened her mouth to answer but Six spoke up first. “We’re friends of the NCR, headin’ to New Vegas on business.” the bubbly little girl they’d met evaporated and Six turned into the kind of woman that had the air of any five star general. “I’ve walked this road a dozen times over the last few weeks and you’ve never stopped me or my people before so why don’t you tell me who you are and what’s _your business_ with _us_?”

  
The woman hesitated, surprised by the small girl’s authority and she lowered her weapon. Her men didn’t but she did answer Six.

  
“I am Lieutenant Commander Haggerty. The reason we’ve stopped you here today is for security purposes. A group of this size and…um… _assortment_ cannot be allowed to simply walk by with the amount of legion raiding parties in this area.”

  
Six looked at their group. It was obvious the lieutenant was worried about the deathclaw. Both she and her men were staring at him but Six was annoyed with the woman’s attitude so gave a little right back.

  
“Do we look like legion?” Six demanded, propping her fist on her hips. “Cause last I checked they don’t take in women or ghouls. The only one of us Caesar would even consider would be chuckles here behind me,” she jerk her thumb over her shoulder at Boone who went ridged with anger at the thought “And he’s retired First Recon so you can trust me when I say we are in no way a threat to local NCR operations.”

  
Lt. Haggerty cleared her throat and motioned to Claws. “What about that? Everyone knows deathclaws are the most dangerous thing out here. I should order my men to put it down before it breaks from whatever mind control you people are using on it and it kills everything in sight.”

  
Rachel scowled and pushed in front of Six, leaning in close to Haggerty with murder flashing in her golden eyes. “Lieutenant, Claws may be a deathclaw,” she said very quietly, “but the most dangerous thing out here is me when my family is being threatened. Claw is as free as any of us and he’s been at my heel for a long damn time. If he wanted you dead you would have been the moment your men trained their weapons on us. The only reason you’re still breathing is because he doesn’t believe you’re a threat to me or my partner.”

  
Lt. Haggerty tore her startled eyes from Rachel’s unnerving ones and let them drift up to her First Recon beret. Then her eyes traveled to Boone’s, over Six and the other women. They slid over the giant ghoul that looked like he could kill a half dozen men without breaking a swet and then to the giant deathclaw on all fours. The beast’s head was cocking back and forth with interest but no immediate malice that she could tell. This was not how she’d envisioned her day going.

  
Haggerty sighed and signaled her men to drop their weapons. Really the girls were right. She hadn’t had any real reason to intercept their group beyond the fact that they were traveling with a freakin’ deathclaw.

  
“I,” she hesitated, “I apologize. In my defense, when my scout came back with reports of people traveling with a deathclaw all I could think of were the controlled ones the Enclave had before their collapse. I thought perhaps it was a similar situation but yours’ doesn’t have the head device.”

  
Rachel put a hand on Claws’ curved horn and rubbed it affectionately. “Usually we have him follow us at a further distance out to avoid unnecessary concern with the locals so I apologize too. I wasn’t paying attention to where we were.”

  
A young man on the Lieutenant’s right hand shifted, saying, “He is impressive. How did you tame him?”

  
“I didn’t. We kinda adopted each other. He thinks I’m his mama.” She looked over her son and nodded towards the solids just because she could. “Claws, say hello.”

  
Veronica and Six shifted out of the way so Claws could stretch his head out towards the man who’d spoken, inhaling the kids scent. The man had turned white under his tan and stood stock still. Rachel fought not to laugh.

  
The Lt. Commander was more adventurous and she reached out a hand to Claws, offering it without toughing him. Claw sniffed her hand and touched his nose to it.

She actually giggled, it was a nervous reaction but Claws took it as permission and licked the whole side of her face in true Claws fashion.

  
The commander squeaked and this time Rachel did laugh along with all the other girls in their group. “He likes you, he’s an excellent judge of character.”

  
A little puff of air that could hardly pass as a breeze brushed across the Mojave as the commander wiped her face with her sleeve. “That’s just a little gross.”

  
“Be happy he hadn’t just eaten.” Charon rumbled and Rachel grinned at the ghoul.   
Claws lifted his nose and sniffed, his lips pulling up into a snarl and a growl rumbling out of his chest. Immediately all NCR gun where pointed at him but he ignored them, picking himself up to his full height and looking east, scenting the air.

  
Rachel and Charon both had their weapons up and cocked before the soldiers had even reacted to the sound, all good feelings were gone while they scanned the desert east of them down their sights.

  
“What?” Six asked, picking up her weapon.   
“If Claws thinks there’s trouble then there will be.” Rachel whispered.

  
Lt. Haggerty gave a hand signal for her men to fan out. They had only just started to move when a team of legion assassins appeared from behind an over turned eighteen-wheeler and all hell broke loose.

 

 

 


	39. Chapter 39

She was thirsty.

_Parched_.

Rachel cracked an eyelid and grimaced. The light hanging from the center of the tent was too damn bright. She eased herself up and sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. 

The light momentarily forgotten she pulled the blanket aside and found the source of the pain.

Bloodstained bandages were wrapped tightly around her torso.

She’d been in a fight…that was right.

Legionary Assassins had come out of nowhere. Like Mojave demons. They’d fought long and hard. With the NCR troopers on their side they’d won. Rachel remembered looking around without seeing a single skirt wearing bastard left alive.

That must mean they’d won.

She also remembered catching a spear in her side. It had opened a gash but not enough to put her out. Hell it hadn’t even slowed her down at the time so why couldn’t she remember anything after that?

And she was so thirsty.

Rachel took a deep breath and eased her legs over the side of the cot she was on. Her head pounded brutally but she stood up anyway. As it turned out that was a bad idea.  

The room spun and her center of gravity swung violently. Rachel staggered sideways and caught herself on a table loaded up with paperwork and science equipment. Most of it clattered onto the floor. It sounded like something glass shattered but she wasn’t sure, she was too busy holding onto the table to keep from fainting.

* * *

 

Outside Rachel’s tent Boone and Charon stood on either side of the flap. They were power smoking through a pack of cigarettes like they were about to meet a firing squad. The men hadn’t left her side for more then a few minutes at a time since they’d brought her into the Old Mormon Fort.

Neither man spoke but they were both thinking about the same thing. That moment when the fight was over, feeling the euphoria from a fight well won and then having it crushed when Rachel’s eyes rolled up into her head. Her legs folded like paper under her and she collapsed onto the hard pack dirt. Neither of them would ever forget the image of her seizing on the ground.

From inside her tent there was a horrible crash and they both dropped their cigarettes. Charon and Boone ran into each other trying to get through the tent opening at the same time. Charon got a shoulder in first and grabbed a fist full of the tent flap. With one hard jerk he ripped it from the seams.

Charon spotted Rachel half keeled over a table and lunged a cross the small space. He slid one hand around her waist and the other a crossed her chest before he pulled her gently back against his chest.

“What the hell are you doin’ smoothskin?” He growled gently in her ear, “You shouldn’t be out of bed. The doc said you took a nasty dose of poison from one of those assholes.”

Boone watched the big merc handle his daughter like she was made of glass and his respect for the ghoul grew intensely. Charon scooped her up and carried her back to the cot, ignoring the garbled protests from the woman. Boone pulled the sheets aside and Charon settled his smoothskin back down.

“ _Charon_ ,” Rachel groaned with her eyes squeezed shut. “ _light_ …”

Boone pulled the chain and the tent went dark. Rachel sighed in relief, “Water?”  

“Sure kid, are you in pain?”

She shook her head and forced a smile passed the dizziness and nausea. “I’ll survive. Where’s Boone?”

“I’m right here, how you feelin’?” He stepped into her line of sight and handed her a bottle of water.

“Like I got hit by a nuke.”

“You should be dead.” Charon told her seriously. “The doctor said whatever poison they used was potent and it took hours to get you here.”

Rachel sighed and fell back against the pillow. “It was probably Cazador venom. I have a tolerance. You know that scar on my thigh?”

Charon nodded.

“That’s from the last time I tangled with a Cazador.” She sighed and closed her eyes briefly.

“Where’s Claws? And where are we?” She asked but she suspected she knew the answer.

“The Old Mormon fort in Freeside.” Boone told her. “Your pet is outside the walls. He seems good at keeping out of sight.”

Rachel nodded and a smile tugged the corner of her lips when Charon’s fingers laced with hers.

“What about the others? Did we lose anyone?”

“No, but your boyfriend here decked one of the followers when he tried to put you in a tent with a couple de-toxing addicts.” Boone smirked and Rachel looked at Charon. The big ghoul was unapologetic.

“I didn’t want you in a tent full of strangers while you were out cold.”

She squeezed his hand. “Thank you, I appreciate that.”

She fell asleep after that with Charon’s hand in hers. He never moved. Boone brought him a cup of coffee around midnight and ended up falling asleep in a chair around one.

Charon didn’t sleep.

It bothered him that there was so much in the Mojave he didn’t know about.  This whole place was dangerously unfamiliar. It was the first time he seriously doubted his ability to protect the woman sleeping next to him.

Had they been alone he wouldn’t have known to bring her here and he wouldn’t have known that legion boys liked to poison their spears. She would have died in agony and he would have been helpless to save her.

Rachel woke up again just after dawn. Charon helped her to sit up and after a small argument about how she should wait for one of the doctors he helped her to her feet.

Rachel was overjoyed that both her stomach and her center of gravity stayed where they were supposed to.  

“If I go get a doctor will you promise to sit right there and not move?” Charon asked seriously, pointing at her cot.

“I will not,” Rachel stretched slowly and cracked her neck. “I’ve been trapped in that spot for too long already. I want to pay the Followers what we owe and head into New Vegas. Charon you’re going to love it!”

“I’m sure I can wait another few days if you need more rest.”

“I will rest in the casinos. I’ll sit right down and take them for everything they’re worth at the black jack tables.” She grinned and Charon shook his head, unconvinced.

“Rachel-“

“Charon you are not going to convince me I need more sleep but if it makes you feel better I will let one of these nice doctors take a look at me. Alright?”

Charon grumbled to himself. “Is it going to matter what they tell you?”

“Probably not,” She told him honestly.

Charon rubbed his left temple with two fingers in an effort to dissipate the rising headache she was giving him. “Come on smoothskin, Boone is outside along with the others. Let’s go let them know you survived.”

Rachel grinned and took his arm.

The relief on her new found friend’s faces felt wonderful but not as wonderful as the relief on Boone’s. The ex-sniper had started to believe he’d lost another loved one to the legion. He was less pleased that she was walking but when he glared at the ghoul Charon pointed at the girl with an equally annoyed expression.

After they paid for the medical treatment the group left with a new Medic in tow. The blonde man wearing glasses grumbled a little and didn’t look like much but Cass told Rachel in hushed tones not to be fooled. Six collected strays, but her strays were all tough as nails in their own ways.

Charon scowled at the securitrons guarding the gates but submitted to the credit check when Rachel assured him that it was okay.

The ghoul’s mouth fell open when they were finally allowed to step through the gates. Charon’s eye’s traveled over the neon lights and the pre-war dressed people laughing in the streets. It was like stepping back in time.

For just a second he was nineteen again, heading to a club with his buddies before shipping off to basic.

An NCR soldier on their right was puking in a bush while his buddies laughed and a couple hookers danced outside a casino called Gomorra. An MP stopped to berate the sick man and a couple different men whooped at the dancing women.

The Lucky 38 was on the left and nobody was going near that one. It looked abandoned and it unsettled him that that’s where they would be staying. Rachel had no such uncertainness. She had him by the wrist and was dragging him after Six as the girl jogged up the steps.

“Welcome back, I see ya brought along some new friends!” Greeted a Securitron with a cowboy face when Six waved to it.

“I sure did Victor! How’s Vegas? Survived without me I see.” She grinned with a hand on the door.

“We’ve gotten along. The Tops is all calmed down since you took care of that rascal Benny too.”

Six’s grin widened. “Perfect!”

Six lead them through the deserted casino floor to an elevator guarded by the same securitron.  She took them up to her floor and told them they could go anywhere they wanted except up the see Mr. House. That was fine with Rachel, she had enough to get into without meeting Mr. House. For now anyway.

Rachel spun around on her heel, trying to see everything at once. “I can’t believe we are standing in the Lucky 38! This place has been sealed since the war!”

“Rachel, Charon.” Six called, waving them over. “Usually this is my room but since you guys are my special guest you can use it while you’re in town.”

She led them into a master bedroom and grinned. “What do you think?”

“It’s perfect! Thank you so much!” Rachel threw her arms around the girl’s shoulders and hugged her tightly. Six laughed and gave Charon a mock salute before backing out of the room, closing the door as she left.

Charon chuckled and pulled Rachel against him. “I really wish you would stop almost dying on me.”

“Why is it that it’s always me? You don’t get nearly as roughed up as I do.”

“That’s simple.” He told her, flashing a rare grin at her. “I’m a better wastelander,”

Rachel hit his shoulder. “Oh fuck off. You are not.”

Charon laughed and kissed her. “Yes, I am. But I’ve had a lot more experience then you too.”

Rachel smiled. It was a smile she only ever used for him and it was enough to get him hard right then and there. “So what do you want to do first?” she asked silkily, running a hand down the side of his face.

Charon growled and set his shotgun down on a nearby chair. “It’ll be easier if I show you.”

* * *

 

Rachel stretched and curled against Charon’s warm body. His exposed muscles were soft and silky but his skin was like well worn leather. She loved the way it felt against her own skin.

His arms tightened around her and her leg slid over and up his thigh. Charon made a sound like a purr and opened his pale eyes. He smiled down at her and smoothed her hair back away from her face.

“Good Morning,” he smiled.

Rachel nuzzled his collar bone. “It’s only four-thirty. We didn’t sleep that long.”

“Does that mean we have to get up?”

“No,” she kissed his throat. “But I would like to hit the Strip and see Michael Angelo tonight.”

Charon propped himself up on his elbow and cocked an eyebrow. “Who is Michael Angelo?”

Rachel laughed at his tone and the look on his face. “We have been together for over two years and in that time we have almost never been more than a few hundred feet away from each other. You can’t really think I have a secret lover here in New Vegas.”

Charon didn’t say anything because she was right but he still didn’t like the way she’d smiled when she had said the other man’s name. He didn’t know what to do about that though because at the moment he couldn’t recall ever being jealous before Rachel was in his life.

Rachel rolled on top of him and braced her hands on his chest. “He’s the man that did my tattoo remember? Part of the reason I want to come was to get it fixed.”

“I remember smoothskin,” reassured he rested his hands on her hips. “I suppose we she get up then.”

Rachel nodded and tossed the blankets aside. She slid out of bed and Charon pointed her in the direction of her pants. He whistled when she bent over and Rachel shimmied her ass just because she could.

“Charon, do you remember that suit Moira found for you?” Rachel asked as she clipped on her bra and reached for her pack.

“The one I refused because owning a suit in the wasteland is pointless?” He asked, reaching for his leather pants.

“That’s the one, I have it with me.” She tossed a canvas wrapped package on the bed.

“ _No_ ,” he told her, “I am fine in my armor.”

Rachel propped her fist on her hips and grinned. It was unsettling. “Charon, the strip has really tight security. They aren’t going to let you wander around looking like you’re ready to go to war.”

“I _am_ ready to go to war.”

“Come on, put on your suit and let’s have a fun night. We’re here to relax. How could we find trouble here?”

Charon laughed. “With you smoothskin? The possibilities are infinite.”

“Oh fuck off and put your suit on… please?”

Charon sighed and unsnapped his pants. Orders were orders. “Fine, what are you going to wear if not your armor?”

Rachel plucked another canvas wrapped package from her pack and waved it in the air in front of her. “When I get back from the bathroom you’ll see.”

* * *

 

 

Charon plucked at his collar and grumbled. The dark grey pinstriped suit fit well but it felt _wrong_. Without the weight of his armor he felt dangerously exposed and at the same time vastly over dressed.

Charon put on his hat and lit a cigarette while he waited for Rachel to come back. He stuffed one hand in his pocket and felt something cold meet his finger tips. He pulled the thing out of his pocket and blinked down at a gold pocket watch. It was tarnished a bit and scuffed but when he opened it the second hand ticked steadily around the clock face. On the inside cover behind protective glass was a scrap of paper that said _To Charon from Rachel_.

“Do you like it?” Rachel asked from the doorway.

“Smoothskin it’s gr-” Charon looked up and choked on his words. Rachel was in a black halter dress that stopped just above her knee. It had a red belt that cinched around her waist and she’d curled her hair on one side. The other side was pinned up with a pretty feathered clip from a bird whose name he couldn’t remember at the moment.

“It’s what?” she asked, stepping into the room in strappy black high heels. She’d put on makeup too. The sight of her had crashed all thought processes in his brain.

“Beautiful,” Charon told her when he got his mouth working again. “Absolutely beautiful,”

Rachel reached up and straightened his tie. “Good, you look wonderful by the way. Are you ready to go?”

“As I’ll ever be,” he told her, gazing down into her cleavage. “ _Rachel_ …are these bigger?”

Rachel laughed and winked at him. “Why yes, I’m wearing my good bra.”

Charon gave them a squeeze and she giggled, batting his hands away. Six whistled when they left the bedroom. She’d been coming out of the kitchen. Boone was with her, beer in hand. He looked the pair over, nodded and walking into the lounge.

Rachel yelled goodbye loudly through the suite and Charon grunted, following her into the elevator.

He didn’t like not having his gun out here in the open.

Still, as much as being weaponless bothered him the looks the drunken soldiers on the strip were giving his woman was making him grind his teeth.

Men were slapping each other on the shoulders and pointing her out to their buddies with grins on their faces as she passed by. People largely ignored him.

“What’s the matter?” Rachel asked after a few minutes of walking on the sidewalk.

“What?”

“You’ve been grumbling under your breath since we left the Lucky 38.” She explained has they passed through a gate. Two more casinos towered on either side of the road. The signs on them advertised the Tops and the Ultra-lux.

Charon glanced at yet another group of young men and whispered, “I don’t like the way these guys are looking at you.”

Rachel looked over at the men and they all grinned wide. One of them whistled and she smiled at him while she talked to Charon. “You should take it as a compliment. Clearly they think I’m something to look at and look whose bed I like to be in.”

“They don’t know that.” Charon growled as a blonde man broke away from his friends and started walking towards them.

“Then show them who I belong too,” she whispered, daring the ghoul with a sly little grin. For reasons he decided he didn’t want to examine the sentence started his engine in ways only she could.

The blond solider was only ten feet from them when Charon snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her into a hard kiss. Rachel pressed herself against him, her hand slipping up to caress the back of his neck. When they broke apart they both glanced at the soldiers and smirked.

Charon pride soared at the astonished and partially disgusted looks on the boys faces.

“Feel better?” Rachel whispered, taking his hand.

“Immensely. Come on gorgeous, let go find this friend of yours.”

* * *

 

 

“Rachel? You’re alive?” the dejected little man they’d found in the back of a machine shop asked. Somehow he sounded both awed and cynical at the same time.

“I am. I’ve been on the east coast. This is Charon,” she introduced. “He’s my partner.”

Michael nodded but didn’t offer to shake the ghouls hand. Charon likewise didn’t offer his hand. Before they’d come in Rachel had explained that the man they were meeting was eccentric and easily spooked so Charon took no offense to his anxious manner.

“I’m glad to see you again. Have you come for a new tattoo? I don’t have many costumers for those.”

“Actually,” Rachel said, turning so he could see the skin revealed by the dresses low cut back, “It needs a little resurrection.”

“What happened?” the smaller man cried, looking over the scarred flesh were his master piece once was displayed.

Rachel blushed a little. “Car exploded too close to me. It’s a dangerous world. Can you do it?”

“Of course I can,” he chattered, offended that she might think he couldn’t.

“Could you change the image for me?” Rachel asked, facing him. “I have a nick name back east that I’d like to immortalize.”

“What do you mean?”

Rachel grinned at Charon. “Michael, I want you to give me wings.”

“Wings? Yes…yes, I could do that. They will take some time though. Come back tomorrow and I’ll have a couple of templates drawn up.” He told her and turned to go back to his work.

“Michael,” Rachel called patiently. “There’s one more thing. Can I barrow your camera tonight? You know I’ll pay.”

The man studied her for a long moment and then shrugged. “Fine, don’t damage it.”

He pointed to an old camera on a table and left them. Rachel took it and a fresh roll of film, shouting a thank you over her shoulder.

“Why do you need that?” Charon asked.

“We are on vacation.” She explained. “People on vacation take pictures.”

Charon snorted. “You’re insane.”

“I know. I’m okay with it.”


	40. Chapter 40

Charon tugged at his collar and sneered back at a gambler that kept sending him dirty looks. The dark haired man wasn’t the only one but so far he was the most annoying about it. Every time he glanced at Charon he wrinkled his nose like he smelt something bad.

Charon knew he did not smell bad. Not today anyway. He’d had access to hot water and soap and the old ghoul had taken full advantage of the luxury. 

Rachel had dragged them to Gomorra over an hour ago. They’d wandered around for awhile just seeing what the casino had to offer. Rachel had been grinning like a fool since they’d walked out onto the strip together and as irritating as some of the other smoothskin here were Charon found himself sharing in her pleasure. 

His little smoothskin was different in New Vegas. She was comfortable, relaxed… _safe_. The realization was a shock. Right here, Right now, she was completely at ease. He wanted to think his presences added to her comfort but he couldn’t convince himself.

In this civilized setting he couldn’t help thinking that he didn’t add to her protection. In fact he very well made her a target. Humans ghoul relationships were more or less taboo after all.

Rachel’s relaxed state was only the first shock of the evening however. The second happened on the main floor of the casino when Rachel tugged at his sleeve and pointed out the golden cage suspended from the ceiling.

“Remember when I told you I danced here to pay off a dept? That was my office.”

Mental images of her in the black leather outfits the girls working here wore flickered in his mind. A half naked Rachel surrounded by gold painted bars was not going to be leaving his head anytime soon. Maybe he’d be able to talk her into getting one installed in their house.

Presently Charon was sitting alone at a corner table. Rachel had gone to the bar to get them a couple drinks. He could see her leaning in, catching up on local gossip from the bartender. The bar was crowded but the bartender had turned his attention to her immediately. That’s why’d she’d gone to get the drinks, the low cut neckline of her dress gave her a strategic advantage. When she was handed the two drinks she’d ordered she excused herself. Charon’s eyes tracked her weaving through the tables back towards him.

The annoying gambler’s eyes slid from Charon to Rachel’s backside as she passed. His expression turned from unrestrained desire to a confused scowl when Rachel slid into the seat across from the ghoul.

“Looks like you found a _friend_.” Rachel remarked sarcastically, glancing the guy’s way.

“Seems like he feels ghouls shouldn’t be allowed in a high class place like this.” Charon agreed, twisting the cap off the beer she’d brought him.

Rachel sent an icy glare in the gamblers direction that made the man quickly turn his attention back to the stage before she took a sip of her Whisky Nuka.

“I wonder if we could buy that cage in the lobby and hang it in the living room. I wouldn’t mind a private show. You talk a big game Ray, makes me curious if you’re as good as you say.” Charon teased.

Rachel laughed and to his great delight her cheeks actually turned red for a moment. “Are you changing the subject or are you serious?”

“A little bit of both.” He admitted, letting the cage discussion drop. He wasn’t giving up, just giving her time to think about it.  

Rachel stirred her drink with her pinky and smiled at him. Charon picked the camera up off the table and snapped a picture.

“Come on smoothskin.” He said, handing her the camera. Charon pulled her to her feet. “I can teach you how to play black jack.”

“Oh baby,” She grinned, picking up her glass. “I don’t need lessons.”

* * *

 

“Be honest smoothskin….Were you cheating?” Charon asked for the tenth time as they walked down the crowded Strip. They’d played cards for hours. Eventually it had been just the two of them, they’d beaten out all the other players and around midnight management invited them to enjoy the shows but ask that they not gamble anymore.

“No!” Rachel burst into giggles and gestured down at the dress she was wearing, “Where do you think I would keep extra cards? And how would I have gotten them without people noticing.”

“Nobody’s that lucky,” Charon insisted, but his lips were curved into a smile.

“I have a pet deathclaw,” the red head reminded him. “So I think I am that lucky.”

“I still might have to search you,” he warned, playfully tugging at the v-neck of her dress.

Rachel turned red and batted his arm. “You’re being awfully flirty tonight.”

“I feel flirty tonight. It’s kind of unsettling but I’ve been drinking.” He admitted, slipped an arm around her waist as they walked.  “Must be something in the air. Your perfume maybe?”

“Maybe it’s Vegas.” She sighed. She wrapped her arms around his big one and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Does it look like it did before the war?”

“I only saw pictures but it looks damn close.”

Rachel grinned up at him, “I’m glad. You deserve some time to relax. Really relax. I’m glad you’re here with me too. I wouldn’t have returned without you. I would’ve let my demons chase me forever.”

Charon tilted her face up and kissed her. “I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.”

“Charon,” she whispered. “I-“ She choked on her words and turned red, looking away. “Come on” Rachel pulled his arm. “Let’s see if we can’t get somebody to take our picture in front of the fountain.”

Charon let her pull him to the fountain and watched while she hunted for a person she thought would make a good photographer. It wasn’t long before Rachel was leading a local street vender towards him. Turns out for a handful of caps any personal feelings the older woman might have had towards their relationship could be put aside.

Charon put his arm around his smoothskins waist and she leaned against him for the photo. The vender adjusted her position and snapped the picture. Charon reached out to take the camera but she waved him back saying, “My daddy taught me to never do a job I was bein’ paid for half assed. Your lady friend asked me to help you two kids capture a perfect evening and that what I’m gonna to do.”

Rachel laughed at his expression and he obeyed the sales woman by draping his arm over her shoulders.

“Come on boy,” their photographer scolded the big ghoul. “Quit being a stick in the mud and kiss your girl!”

Startled by the level of command in the woman’s voice Charon pulled Rachel against him and kissed his girl. The flash from the camera went off and the vender nodded. “That-a-boy.”

Charon released Rachel and accepted the camera the woman held out to him. “That didn’t bother you?” he asked, genuinely curious.

The woman shrugged. “When you’ve worked The Strip as long as I have you can tell when two people got something real or not. Yours is and I for one am not gonna look down on you two for finding something most people never do. Sides, what you do doesn’t involve me so why would I give a fuck? Got too much to worry about mindin’ my own business without stickin’ my nose in other peoples.”

And with that she walked away.

Charon and Rachel looked at each other.

“Well,” Rachel finally laughed, “I wish more people would not give a fuck.”

Charon nodded, “I agree. You know if everybody had that kind of attitude we might actually achieve world peace.”

Charon pulled his new pocket watch out and checked the time. He’d never admit it out loud but now that he had a pretty good buzz on and he was standing with a lovely woman in a fine suit he did feel very fancy.

“What are you grinnin’ about?” Rachel asked.

“It’s nothing, you’re just beautiful. Come on, it’s almost two and I want to see how long I can draw out the process of stripping that dress off.”

When they walked into the Lucky 38 suite though Charon’s plans to get his woman naked were put on hold. The caravan trader, Cassidy he thought was her name, was in the hall.

“Hey, you two come have a drink and a game of pool with us. We’re havin’ a good old fashion _we-didn’t-get-shot-at-today_ party!”

She threw and arm around Rachel’s neck and half dragged her into the lounge. Charon followed them with a feeling that their night just got a bit less private but that was alright. The only person in the loft he thought would be a real threat was the sniper but he seriously doubted Craig Boone would make a move against them.

Himself maybe, if the man though he was hurting Rachel in any way but Boone wouldn’t hurt Rachel.

At some point after countless pool games and a lot more whisky with Cass, Six and Veronica the girls end up on the couch singing loudly to Butcher Pete. Cass fell back against the cushion and giggled.

“I wonder what butcher pete looked like? He got so much tail he had to have had something going for him.”

“Maybe he was hung,” Six suggested with a giggle.

“They wouldn’t know that right off though,” Cass argued. “It had to be something else. Ray, what made you want to jump tall, dark and ghoulish?”

Charon thought about getting pissed off but he wanted to hear Rachel answer as much as the woman around her. Beside Cass’s tone was curious and nothing else.

“Honestly?” Rachel laughed. “Blood lust. You should see him really fight! All strength and passion. And the man has amazing abs!” she waved wildly in Charon direction. He and Boone had been engaged in an epic battle of chess but now they were both distracted by the women.

Charon glanced at her and almost choked on his beer when she exclaimed, “Plus he’s hung like a deathclaw!”

“Really?” Cass asked with a little too much interest for Charon to feel safe.

“Really!” Rachel assured her. “Charon, be a dear man and take off your shirt. Show them your abs!”

“I feel like that isn’t necessary,” Charon grumbled, fingers itching to obey her.

“I feel like it is. I wanna show you off!”

Charon stood but fought the impulse to do as he was told. In a last ditch effort he ask, “Is that a direct order?”

Rachel audibly growled. “ _No_ , just a pleading suggestion. I’ll find a way to show them later.”

 “You should be afraid,” Boone commented as he moved a pawn.

Charon settled back into his seat. “After years of traveling with her… _I am_.”

 

* * *

 

When Charon opened his eyes he found an empty spot next to him but he didn’t panic just yet. The spot was still warm so she couldn’t have gone far.

The ghoul rolled out of bed and pulled on his pants. He reached of his shirt but it wasn’t where he was sure he’d thrown it the night before. The night before was a rush of blurs though so he may have tossed it aside somewhere outside the bedroom.

Instead of looking for the miss article of clothing he reached into his pack for a spare. He couldn’t find those either. Charon knitted his brows together and looked around the room. His eyes landed on Rachel’s side of the bed and he swore under his breath.

_Rachel_.

Charon checked his watch. That was still on the nightstand where he’d left it and he was surprised to see it was midmorning. He’d slept much longer than he normally did.

He poked his head out of the bedroom and could hear female voices in the kitchen. He closed the door again and looked around the master bedroom. He searched the wardrobes and the weapons chest. He even looked through the desk drawers but his clothes were nowhere to be found. In fact the only thing she’d left him was his leather pants and a pair of black socks.

He looked over his reflection in a cracked mirror on the wall and grumbled. The missing skin on his torso bothered him more with all these other people around.

He caught himself halfway through wrapping a sheet around his torso like a toga and growled, tossing the fabric to the floor. He didn’t care what a bunch of smoothskins thought. He was a mercenary, an assassin _, he didn’t care_.

Charon looked himself in the eyes in the mirror and told himself, “You are too badass to be self-conscious.”

 Except that when he stepped into the hallway he was. If he could blush he would have been bright red. As it was he fixed a stony scowl on his face before he turned the corner into the big kitchen.

The first person to notice him was Boone who was sitting at the far head of a long table. A half burned cigarette was between his fingers and a coffee mug sat in front of him. The sniper nodded but otherwise didn’t acknowledge him.  Six and Veronica had their heads together over the couriers pip-boy map.

The Doctor whose name he’d yet to learn was at the table with a full coffee mug and a book. Rachel was cooking and Cassidy was talking to her about what it was like on the east coast.

Cass’s eyes flicked towards the doorway and she choked on her sentence. Charon shifted uncomfortably but the woman let out a long whistle. “ _Whoa_ , I see what you mean about his body. I don’t suppose you’d let me take him for a test drive?”

Rachel grinned at Charon, ignoring his glower. “Sorry, he’s not for sale.”

“How ‘bout a rental?” Cass asked, eyeing Charon with appreciation.

Rachel shook her head and brought him over a cup of coffee with the sweetest smile on her face. “Good Morning.”

“Where are my clothes?”

“I sent our clothes to the laundry. They should be back anytime.”

Rachel’s smile was so sweet and her voice sounded so innocent but there was something in her eyes.

Charon grunted and took a seat at the table next to Boone. He caught Six and the Doctor both giving him the up and down and he busied himself by asking the sniper for a cigarette.

Half an hour later Charon had clean shirts delivered by a seceuritron with a females face displayed on the screen. He gladly pulled it on. It smelled like soap and the threadbare fabric was soft.

Nice.

Rachel changed into clean pants and her black tanktop before brushing out her hair. When she was done they left with Boone in tow. The sniper said was tired of being cooped up but didn’t feel like sitting in a casino.

When they got to Michael Angelo’s the twitchy little man showed Rachel several scraps of paper with different styles of angel wings. Rachel picked one with long tattered feathers and defined bones.

Michael Angelo nodded and after they worked out a few details she was instructed to take off her shirt and lay face down on a cloth covered table. Charon growled but the little man was just too scrawny for the ghoul to work up a proper fury about his woman being topless.

An assistant brought Rachel a pillow and once she was settled Michael went to work.

He’d said it would take awhile but after an hour and a half he’d barley finished the outline and the men were bored to tears. Boone produced a deck of cards from his pocket and held them up with a cocked eyebrow.

Thankful that the man had come prepared Charon nodded and the same assistant let them use her workbench as a card table.

The tattoo took hours. Charon flinched the first time Rachel made a little squeak of pain but Boone assured him it was normal when the artist was working on an area close to bone. Even while Boone spoke the ghoul saw Rachel being given a dose of med-X by the assistant while Michael kept working.

When it was finally finished it was past sunset. Rachel was given a stimpak to help it heal up quickly but was still warned to keep it clean for the next 24 hours. Michael also told her another stimpak in the morning probably wouldn’t hurt.

Instead of refastening her bar she held the pillow over her chest and turned to show the waiting men. “How does it look?”

“Decent.” Boone nodded, gathering up his cards.

“Charon?”

He looked over the tattered half folded wings that where now sprouting out of his woman’s shoulder blades. They’d come out incredibly well. The Tattoo was full back and had some expert shading. They really did look three dimensional.

“They’re you.”

Rachel bounced in place and Michael handed her the shirt she’d left on the floor. The artist respectively turned around while she gingerly drew it over her head. She didn’t even try her bra. She knew better after the flowering vines she’d gotten years ago.

“Three Dogs gonna blow his top when he sees these!” she beamed.

“Come on smoothskin,” Charon tucked her bra into his pocket and then took her hand. “Let’s treat your father to some dinner. You can plan out how you want to spend the next couple days.”


	41. Chapter 41

“How is it that you manage to find trouble no matter where we go?” Charon grumbled, kicking a rock.

“It’s not trouble. It’s a job.” Rachel argued, ignoring hid grumpy mood. “A simple one.”

“We are supposed to be on vacation.” Charon reminded his suborn woman.

“Work is fun. Relax. Besides a little courier work will be a good way to see the area.” Rachel had her gun in her hands but so far they hadn’t seen anything worth shooting. Charon was beside her and Claws was trailing along behind, happy to be away from the populated outskirts of The Strip.

“If it’s a simple job then how come nobody else was willing to take it?” Charon persisted. Rachel had dragged him to one of the Mojave Express offices looking for an excuse to wander. She’d been feeling nostalgic and had said she wanted him to see what her life was like before she’d gone east.

“I don’t know, maybe it was too far?” She shrugged. “Or maybe it’s because the area is known deathclaw territory.”

Charon grumbled louder. Of course it was. “Fan-fucking-tastic. Claws might just attract a big alpha looking to defend it’s territory.”

“As long as we stick to the road and keep Claws close we won’t have to worry about them. Quarry Junction uses a lot of dynamite and that keeps the deathclaws at a distance.”

Charon grumbled a little more, unconvinced. It was something about the way the office manager had asked if they were _sure they wanted this run_ before letting them sign the paperwork. Even after the form was signed he seemed reluctant handing over the wrapped package. They were supposed deliver this to the quarry workers who would pay them the other half of the delivery fee.

The whole thing was giving Charon a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. His trigger finger itched. Every nerve was humming. Two hundred plus years in his line on work was telling him all hell was about to break loose.

“We should have waited for Boone to get back, an extra gun who knows the area would have been the better option.” Charon said for the third time and Rachel shook her head.

“Boone went to Novac with Six to help her with one of her own jobs. Hard tellin’ how long they’ll be gone. _I know this area_ , will you trust me please?”

Charon knew she was getting irritated with him but he couldn’t let it go. “I do trust you but you’ve been gone a long time. You were bed ridden less than ten days ago.”

He couldn’t place exactly why but ever since the legion had attacked them he’d been jumpy about the Mojave wasteland. It was more than just not knowing what to expect here. He couldn’t shake the feeling that his time with Rachel was ticking.

She was strong, intelligent and a damn good survivor but there was still _something_. It wasn’t her actions or attitude. She was still a damn good wastelander. Still… a little stab of fear whenever he looked at her made him anxious. Charon felt like someday not too far away he was going to lose her.

As soon as they’d delivered the package they were supposed to he was going to ask her about returning to D.C. He wanted to get her safely away from here. He wanted to get her home.

Oblivious to his premonitions of doom Rachel waved her hand. “That wound wasn’t bad. The poison didn’t do any real damage. I’m back to a hundred percent. Quarry Junction is only a day away if we push hard. Since this is supposed to be a fun trip we’ll find a place to spend the night and make it over there by noon tomorrow. Everything is going to be fine,” she looked up at him, eyes pleading with him to settle down. “Okay?”

Charon looked down into her worried eyes and forced a tight smile. He draped an arm over her shoulders with a sigh of defeat and hugged her to his side. “Okay smoothskin, I trust you.”

They’d found a nice dry cave to spend the night a short time before dusk. A heard of Bighorners had been grazing close by so dinner hadn’t been a struggle at all. Charon had never had the animal before but it reminded him of a stringy Brahmin. He found it was surprisingly tender after it had finished roasting over an open flame.

The meat coupled with a can of beans made for a nice evening meal and with Claws guarding the cave entrance they didn’t have any trouble at all entertaining themselves for the night.

* * *

 

Around mid-morning Rachel told him that they were only a mile or so away from Sloan. It was what the workers called their mining camp.

Charon was on the ground with his gun in his hands. Rachel was settled on Claws’ back. She was telling Charon that at this time of day they might have to wander into the quarry to find the foreman the package was addressed to.

“How big is the Quarry?” Charon asked, curiously.

“Maybe a mile long and a half mile wide. It’s not too bad.”

“Shouldn’t we be able to hear them working?” Charon pointed out, glancing towards the stone cliff that outlined Quarry Junction. Something didn’t feel right.

Rachel halted Claws, looking towards the crater wall. “You’re right.” She admitted softly, pulling her hunting shotgun out of its holster.  “Maybe they’re on break?”

“What do you want to do?”

“Let’s climb up the high side and get a look into the work site.”

Charon nodded and together they crept towards the edge bordering the Quarry. Rachel looked through her scope, her face going pale. She could see over the edge first with her position on top of Claws. When Charon got eyes on the ground below he swore softly and profusely.

“We need to leave,” he hissed. “ _Now_.”

There weren’t any people left alive down there. Quarry Junction was peppered with deathclaws. There was a whole pack of them. Five babies were following a very large female. Adult and adolescent deathclaws stalked everywhere.

Then they saw the alpha male. He was easily eight inches over Claws’ head with dark leathery skin and great curved horns. He was the biggest deathclaw either of them had ever seen. Even as they watched from a quarter mile away the male lifted his nose in their direction, scenting the air.

He made a noise judging by the way the adults around him all looked his way and started sniffing the air as well.

“We need to get out of here,” Charon whispered more urgently, backing away from the edge.

“If we move closer to Black Mountain and skirt the other side of the road we can get eyes on Sloan in fifteen minutes.” Rachel whispered back. “We have to see if anybody is alive.”

“No we don’t,” Charon hissed his feelings of doom back in full force. He wanted to toss his woman over his shoulder and get as far from here as possible. “Now we know why nobody would take this delivery.”

Rachel pointed Claws in the direction of the road but Claws came up short. He turned his head towards the highway they’d just come from and a snarl rumble from his throat as he unfurled his long blade-like claws.

Two adolescent deathclaws were stalking right towards them.

Both Charon and Rachel swore as Charon fired his shotgun. Rachel followed a half second after him but the blasts barley slowed the two killing machines down. Rachel grabbed Claws’ Collar and reached out for Charon. “Come on!”

Charon fired another Shot and slapped Claws on his haunches yelling, “Retreat! Run you bastard!”

Claws turned to run away like they’d taught him “retreat” meant but he snarled again at the Alpha Male that had been creeping up behind them while the younger deathclaws acted as a diversion.

“Charon!” Rachel cried and the ghoul spun, firing again. They were being pushed back against the edge of the crater. Rachel and Charon both fired until their clips where empty. They’d killed one adolescent but that only infuriated the other two.

The Alpha rushed them and Claws sidestepped, head butting the bigger male in the throat. Rachel grabbed onto Claws’ collar to keep herself seated but the alpha rammed Claws back. Her pet had to sidestep quickly the get out of the range of the alpha’s talons. The sudden motion threw Rachel over the side of Claws’ shoulder. She screamed when her wrist got stuck between the leather straps of his collar and the weight of her body being tossed wrenched her shoulder from its socket.

Charon yanked his knife from its sheath before he ever realized what had happened. In a suicidal dash he hoisted himself up by one of Claws’ back spikes and slashed through the worn out leather. Rachel dropped to the hard packed dirt, rolling in time to avoid getting stepped on.

Charon pulled the pin on one of his grenades, lobbing it under the alpha’s feet. It exploded on impact showering them all with dirt. In the smoke and dust Charon helped Rachel get to her feet.

When she got caught in the collar her rifle had bounced over the edge of the ten foot drop behind them. She let her left arm dangle uselessly, trying to focus on the task at hand. With Maria in hand she took aim at the adolescent that was coming at them. Rachel plunged bullets into its skull. She had one bullet left when it fell dead just four feet away.

The Alpha snarled and shoved Claws back towards the edge, taking a swipe at the two wastelander snacks behind the invading deathclaw.

The very tips caught Charon’s chest, reducing his thick leather armor to ribbons and leaving blood seeping scratches.

“We have to jump!” Rachel yelled.

She didn’t have to tell Charon twice. They both slid over the edge behind them, it wasn’t a straight drop but it was close. The landing was rough and while they’d gotten away from the Alpha Male two more adult deathclaws where heading straight for them.

They continued to fall back. There was an old conveyer that led from the secondary ledge they were on to a shack on stilts. The metal catwalk was narrow enough that it would at the very least funnel the deathclaws coming at them to one at a time.

Charon grabbed Rachel’s good hand and led the way, the pounding of deathclaw feet getting louder with every step. The metal catwalk did slowed the deathclaws down, they weren’t sure they wanted to step onto the creaking iron in pursuit of the people who’d invaded their territory.

Charon and Rachel made it to the door and Charon yanked on the handle before swearing loudly. The iron safety door was boarded up and rusted shut. Twenty minutes and the ghoul knew he could have the door open but it was twenty minutes they just didn’t have.

The iron under their boots shook, rust flakes raining to the ground as the first deathclaw stepped onto the catwalk. Panicked Rachel desperately searched for any way to escape as Charon fired shotgun blasts with little effect at the adult getting closer.

About halfway back down the conveyer Rachel spotted the ancient body of a dump truck. It was mostly empty and looked tall enough that the deathclaws wouldn’t be able to get inside.

“There!” She pointed. Charon moved, providing her with cover fire as she made a mad dash to get over the truck. Charon was right behind her and the deathclaws were right in front of her.

She and Charon jumped together. White hot pain exploded over her ribs as the closest deathclaw swiped at her in midair.

They landed it a cloud of dust and splinters. The dump truck had some scrap in the back that they’d landed in.

Above them the deathclaws hissed angrily and for a few horrible seconds Charon thought that they were going to follow but they didn’t. The big lizards weren’t willing to jump nine feet into a metal box.

As they retreated back down the catwalk Charon turned to ask if Rachel was alright.

His blood froze in his veins.

She resembled a ragdoll on top of the debris. She was coated in dust and soaked in blood. There was an open wound on her temple bleeding freely and her dislocated shoulder was stuck out at an odd angle.

“Rachel?” Charon breathed, truly terrified for the first time in over two hundred years.

Charon hovered over her, trying to decide what to do. Carefully he rolled her onto her back. That was when he saw the claw marks and he swore. Rachel pack was still attached to Claws but Charon had managed to keep his. He yanked out the few medical supplies he had and did his best to treat her.

She was unconscious but breathing and that was something at least. The bruising bump on her head that was bad. Head injuries were always something to worry about but right now while he pressed what was left of his shirt against her torn up ribs it was almost a favor. He’d have to wake her up in the next few minutes but decided to reset her shoulder while she was out.

He removed the collar still stuck on Rachel’s arm and set it aside before getting her armor off. She woke as her shoulder popped back into place with a strangled cry of pain. He apologized over and over again as he wrapped both her sprained wrist and shoulder in bandages.

Finally the dose of med-X he’d given her kicked in and while she still she was able to bare it. He made her a sling out of Claws collar, it wasn’t perfect but it was better than nothing.   

“Rachel…” Charon whispered, slowly peeling the black fabric away from her ribs. Three long gashes where opened up in her flesh. “I’m going to have to sew these up. I need you to stay awake though, you can’t go to sleep yet.”

Rachel let out a slow, pain laced breath. “Charon…don’t bother. We both know I’m not getting out of here.”

Charon refused to meet her eyes as he pulled a sewing need from a pouch on his belt.

“Yes we are,” He told her, sterilizing the needle with his lighter before treading it with fishing line.

The growl of a deathclaw sound just outside the metal walls and they both froze but the animal gave up after a minute of circling them. All they’d seen was the tips of the alpha’s horns as he’d moved around the dump truck.

They were safe but trapped.

Rachel was going to point this out but she didn’t. Charon already knew anyway and voicing it wasn’t going to help. Instead she nodded and leaned her head back. Everything hurt.

“Here,” Charon rasped softly. “Look at this.”

Rachel opened her eyes slowly, taking the open locket Charon was holding out to her. She looked at the two pictures inside. The girl on the left was maybe eight with strawberry blonde hair while the girl on the right was maybe ten with deep red hair like Charon’s. They both had the ghoul’s piercing ice blue eyes. “Who are they?”

“My sisters,” Charon told her, testing the needle on his finger before setting to work. He talked while he did it. Giving her something to focus on instead of passing out.

“The younger was Sally and the other was Maggie. Bright, strong, intelligent women. You would have liked them. You would have liked parents too. Connor and Helen O’Bradley were their names. I haven’t said they’re names out loud in decades. I’m glad I remember them. We were poor as church mice but you’d never meet two harder working people.

They all would have loved you, you know. I never had a girl I wanted to bring home to meet my family. If they were alive today I would have brought you home to meet them.” Charon promised quietly. He hadn’t told anyone about his family for over two hundred years but telling Rachel now was easy. Easier than he thought it would be.

“Unfortunately my mother got sick about five years before the war. I was nineteen when she died. It killed my farther. He tried at first but he drank himself to death by the next year. The doctors didn’t have an explanation. We knew though. Without ma’ he’d lost his will to live.

After that things got real hard. Maggie turned eighteen a couple months after his death so she applied for custody of Sally. She got it but we were going to lose our house. We lived in this two story brick duplex in Chicago. It was a poor neighborhood but the people where friendly enough.

I joined the military for them.

I gave my signup bonus to Maggie and sent them money whenever I could. Maggie worked part time and was going to nursing school…I don’t know how she kept it together.

I don’t think they got into a vault and in a way I’m glad. The vaults…well you’ve seen them. Vault-tec was a horrible group of people looking for lab rats.

I flew through the military ranks. In only three years I found myself in one of the elite black ops squads. Turns out I had a knack for war. I never told my sisters. They thought I was still in Alaska but I wasn’t. We were in China. Our orders where to burn this village that was supposed to be an enemy camp.

When we got there something wasn’t right. There were five of us then. Me, Axel, Johnson, Smith and Henry. We went in at night like every other shady mission the government sent us on but this time it was wrong. There were only women and kids. A few old people. It was just a poor mountain village. We retreated, radioed HQ for confirmation on location. Told them there weren’t any soldiers there, only civilians.

HQ told us not to question our orders. _Continue mission_ is what they said. We refused. None of us were angels but we wouldn’t murder children in their beds. That wasn’t something a single one of us was willing to do.

We met our vertibird a few hours later and returned to our headquarters thinking there had to be a mistake.

Our whole squad was arrested for treason.

That was when we were sent to the Institute. Officially our unit didn’t even exist so we didn’t get a trial. I don’t remember a lot after that. I think they used drug therapy and what I do remember…I wouldn’t wish that kind of “ _training_ ” on my worst enemy.

Only myself, Henry and Johnson survived it. I don’t know exactly how they bound us to our contracts but by the end of it we were all mindless slaves. We did whatever we were told by our “employers”. That’s when we were given new names instead of I.D numbers. I was Charon, Henry was Aires the Greek god of war, and Johnson became Severus. That’s the three headed dog that guarded the gates of the underworld.

I was given to General Green just a few weeks before the world burned. When the bombs hit he and a few other higher ups had a bunker set aside for themselves and their families. For maybe three months I was a housekeeper. And then General Green started sending me outside for different reasons. To gather supplies, to gather intelligence, sometimes just because he could.

A few weeks after these little adventures started…well that’s when I started to turn ghoul. It made the others in the bunker nervous and finally Green sold me to the son of one of the other men down there. The boy, Hank, hated it in the bunker. After one particularly bad fight with his father we left.

We wandered, tried to help the local survivors when we could. He and I traveled together for near ten years. He never treated me like an equal but he was better than Green. My contract changed hands a few times before Ahzrukhal won me from a gang leader in a poker game just outside of D.C.  I served in Underworld until I met you.”

Charon tied off the last of his stitching and cleaned the needle before putting it back. Rachel closed his locket, running her thumb over the outside before she gave it back to him. She wiped away the moisture that had gathered in her eyes. “You’ve had a hard life, I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve any of that.”

“Don’t be sorry. Everything I have been through I would gladly do again because it lead me straight to you.” He gave her another dose of med-X and two stimpaks. They were his only two stimpaks, the rest had been broken during the fall.

Rachel dozed off and on for the rest of the day. Mid afternoon she forced herself awake and stifled a groan. She felt sick to her stomach and her skin was on fire. Working her little finger under one of the bandages she lifted it enough to get a peek at her wounds.

The claw marks were swollen and an angry red color. Rachel looked up at her dozing ghoul and wanted to cry. She was going to die here. She knew that. She would have been ready to die before she’d met Charon. She could have accepted it easily. Rachel had never expected to live to a ripe old age. But she hadn’t had enough time with him.

Rachel worked a stubby pencil from her pocket and a half way decent page from a ruined book. Whatever had been printed on the paper had faded away years ago.

Rachel looked at Charon sleeping lightly in the afternoon sun, the distant sounds of deathclaws in the air and she began to write.

 

She was just folding up the paper when Charon woke up. It was dusk and Rachel was having trouble focusing her vision. She’d lost too much blood, she was weak and she knew she didn’t have long left. She also knew she had to get Charon away from this place while she could still pretend to have a chance.

“Rachel?”

“Charon,” she said softly, trying to smile. “I put a stealth boy in your pack a few weeks ago. You still have it right?”

“I do,” he answered her slowly, suspicious.

“Good, I want you to use it to get out of here.” She whispered, coughing a little at the end.

“I’m not leaving without you.”

“I can’t move, if I try I’ll rip my stitches. And even if I could get out of this truck the stealth boy doesn’t have enough power to cloak both of us long enough to get out of the quarry. My blood will attract them, we’ll never make it.”

“I can get you out of here.” Charon insisted desperately.

“Not alone. Take this note and give it to Boone. He’s with six. They can help. As soon as your clear whistle for Claws and if you ride hard it’ll only take three or four hours to get there.”

Charon took the note and tucked it into his pocket. “Rachel I don’t like this. I don’t think I can make myself leave you right now.”

“I know.” She nodded her head sadly. “So I’ll make it easy on you. Charon, I am ordering you to go to Novac and give that letter to Craig Boone. It will tell you where my weapons stash is.”

Charon stiffened but he obediently slipped the stealth boy onto his wrist. In the dark Charon kissed her softly and then he kissed her harder. Rachel let her hand linger on his face for a long minute and then she nodded.

“Be quick, and before you go would you light me a cigarette?”

Charon nodded. He left what was left in his cigarette pack with her when the first was between her lips. “I’ll be fast smoothskin. Stay alive for me.”

He kissed her one more time and she watched him climb up the edge of the dump truck before switching on the stealth boy.

She heard him hit the dirt and sighed. Ten minutes later her Pipboy crackled and Charon voice rasped, “I found Claw, I’ll see you before dawn. Don’t die on me.”

“I’ll be waiting,” she answered and settled back against the pile of stuff she was laying on. Rachel carefully worked her numb fingers until she caught the latch hold the compartment closed on Claws’ collar.

Gingerly Rachel unfolded the aged piece of paper and read the faded words. Slowly she ran a trembling finger over Charon’s signature on the bottom. Rachel sent a silent pray that this worked before she held a corner of the contract to the glowing cherry at the end of her cigarette.

The yellow paper caught halfway through her first drag. Rachel held it so the flames would crawl up the paper.

Charon’s contract was nothing but ashes in less than a minute and she leaned back with a sigh of relief. She was going to die here but she’d die knowing so didn’t fail him.


	42. Chapter 42

Charon could see the giant dinosaur’s silhouette against the dark sky in the distance but it gave him little comfort. He needed to find the sniper and get back to Rachel. He’d had a terrible feeling of disaster settle over him not too long after contacting her on the radio.

It was only worse now.

All his nerves were humming and there was a chill in his spine that was making him itch all over.

Charon didn’t halt, he didn’t even slow down as he barreled through the gates of Novac. A man having a cigarette on the second story shrieked and slammed the door to his room. A second later the door to Dinky slammed open and Boone jogged across the yard.

Charon half jumped, half fell off the deathclaw’s back in his hurry to get to the ground. He’s complete his orders and get back to her. He had to get back to her.

“What happened? Where’s Rachel?” Boone barked, shifting into military mode. Charon shoved the letter into the snipers hands while yelling in the direction of the motel.  

“Six!”

Boone’s eyes flicked over the scrawled letter with his lighter illuminating Rachel’s words, his face going pale. He dropped his lighter to the hard ground, staring at the paper in the darkness.

“This is for you.” he said quietly, feeling numb.

“She said it was for you.” Charon growled, pacing. “Where are her extra weapons? Let’s move!”

Boone shook his head, holding out the letter. “It’s for _you_.”

Charon took the sheet, stilling as he read. His night vision was good enough that he could see the words just fine in the dark. The top was to Boone but the majority was in fact for him.

 

            _Craig,_

_I think the wasteland finally caught up with me. Got pinned down by deathclaws, I’m writing this in the back of a dump truck. I won’t be getting out. I know that I am going to die here tonight but Charon isn’t going to accept it. When he finds out I lied to him to get him out of here he’s going to be furious. You were the best father I could have ever asked for and I love you. Now I have to ask a final favor of you. Take care of Charon for me. I don’t know how he’s going to take what I’ve done._

_Charon,_

_Please forgive me. I knew you wouldn’t leave without a direct order and I knew you would stay if you could convince yourself it was for my safety. I do have a weapons stash and I want you to have it along with our house in Megaton. Simms knows that you get the deed if anything happens to me. I’m leaving you everything I own. Count this as my last will and testament._

_I’m so sorry I lied, I told you to get help but I’m beyond help. By the time you read this I’ll be dead. The deathclaw wounds on my ribs are infected, I’m already having trouble seeing and my fever is on the rise so don’t think if you can make it back you can save me. Writing this letter says louder than anything how far gone I already am. Stay away from here. I have one shot left in Maria. If I don’t go by dawn I’ll give myself a helping hand._

_Now the really hard thing I have to tell you. A long time ago I made a promise to you. I promised I would find a way to free you from your contract. Under the circumstance I am confident that even if you are compelled to try and stop me my death won’t be at your hands. I’ll be gone long before you get here._

_Charon…I love you. So with my last action on this earth I’m going to burn your contract. Forgive me. Remember me. Forever yours’ Rachel_

 

Charon’s heart was beating too fast. He was shaking with the nerves and adrenaline that was flooding his system. She was going to _burn it!_ He had to stop her. He couldn’t…according to the letter it was already done and she was dead.

Charon swore. He swore profanities he’d forgotten he knew and they poured from his lips.

_Rachel_ …She’d ordered him to stay away but his contract was gone. He was his own man. He could go on suicide missions if he wanted to. It could be another lie. She could have just told him the contract was gone.

Charon’s head hurt. He couldn’t focus. The ghoul was rooted to the ground while his mind swirled. Six took the paper from his hands.

_“Charon!”_ she yelled and he snapped back into himself, gasping to get air back into his lungs. He’d forgotten to breath. Six read the letter quickly and nodded.

“Well,” she looked up at the ghoul. “How bad were those wounds? Are we going to get back to her in time?”

“Bad,” He choked. “I should have checked them before I left!”

“It’s not your fault. It sounds like Rachel knew what she was doing when she sent you away. _Arcade_!”

Six’s hotel room door opened and both Arcade and Cass stuck their heads out. “Grab your shit and let’s move. Rachel’s pinned down in Quarry Junction and in bad shape.”

They both nodded while Charon gawked at her. He didn’t think a woman as bubbly as Six could take that kind of command but the girl might have given nasty old Green a run for his money. She had military training; he could tell by the way she prepped to leave.

Boone whistle to get the ghouls attention and Charon moved to help drag a trunk full for Rachel’s stashed gear out of his house. Boone unlocked it and flipped open the lid. “Take whatever you want.” He told the group and they all loaded up. Along with his shotgun Charon chose a hunting shotgun, plasma mines and a grenade launcher. Boone put the key in Charon’s big hand.

“These are yours now.”

Charon shook his head, giving back the key. “Not while there’s still a chance she’s alive.”

Boone, Cass, Six and Arcade all were ready to go in just a couple minutes. They were packed and moving before it seemed possible. Six had loaded a stretcher and a pack full of medical equipment onto Claws.

Since it wouldn’t do much good for anyone to arrive an hour ahead of the rest nobody rode the deathclaw. Claws had also managed to pick up a nasty limp Charon hadn’t noticed in his need to get to Novac.

He felt guilty about the beasts injury but Claws seemed just as determined to get back and didn’t fuss as the forged ahead.

It took longer than Charon liked to get back to Quarry Junction but considerably less time than he thought it actually would take them. Their team move quickly and efficiently through the wasteland, picking off any potential problem at a distance.

They spotted the first deathclaw of the day limping around the same area Charon and Rachel had been pushed over the ledge.

Six hefted the monster rifle she’d been carrying on her back. The weapon was almost bigger than she was. Fire flared out of the end when she pulled the trigger and the animals head exploded in a shower of gore. Even in the low light of early morning she was a crack shot.

“What the hell is that?” Charon asked.

Six patted the stock. “An Anti-Material Rifle. It takes .50MGs so I only use it for special occasions.”

“When this is all over I want to know where I can get one.” Charon told her, leading them to the ledge.

They unpacked Claws there and Charon pointed to the dump truck he’d left Rachel in. Six nodded, strapping on a backpack full of surgery gear. Arcade made a couple snarky comments about covert bandaging but Six ignored him.

Charon tried to get Rachel on the intercom but there was no response. Cass and Boone both found high ground in the ledges to set up sniper positions. They would provide long range cover fire for the other three.

Charon went in with the doctors.  

They snuck up the ramp with only the occasional blast from one of the snipers above them. The deathclaws were running in confused search paths but none of them were getting too close. Cass and Boone were doing a nice job keeping them occupied.

Charon got eyes on Rachel and felt sick. Her skin was white under dark bruises and blackish blood. The bandages he’d wrapped around her were stained black too.

The pile of papery ashes on her chest twisted his gut. Those ashes confirmed that she’d done what she’d promised. He no longer was bound by contract.

He stared at that pile, dizzy. Over two hundred years of conditioned slavery and it was ashes now.

He’d failed.

Failed to protect his employer.

Failed to protect his contract.

He had no trained course of action and _that_ was disturbing and disorienting.

One of the larger pieces of ash fluttered with the barest amount of movement. Charon blinked. Rachel’s chest had moved. Six had dropped into the truck while he’d been lost in his own head. She was checking Rachel’s pulse.

“She’s not dead,” Six announced. “Charon, make sure we have cover fire from where you are. My Anti-Material rifle is next to you. Arcade get down here and help me rig up the tarp. She’s alive but not for long if we don’t haul ass.”

Charon had thought Arcade was the one with the most medical training but Six turned out to be a top notch doctor too. She couldn’t have been more than twenty but the girl had a skill set that some spent their whole lives building. When Rachel was safely recovering he was going to ask the girl were she’d been trained so meticulously.  

After the tarp was stretched over the sides of the truck like a roof he couldn’t see anything they were doing but he could hear them. That was possibly even worse than watching. The long stretches of silence were the most unbearable.

He took out is frustration on the deathclaws. Three snipers and several hours of picking them off was much needed therapy for the ghoul. When Quarry Junction was quiet there was no more distraction for any of them. All the words he’d heard the doctors’ bark over the long morning swirled in his head. Septic, not breathing, collapsed lung, weak pulse, concussion, no pulse, organ failure. He’d only caught fragments of sentences but they had his heart palpitating.

Finally Six emerged from under the canvas flap and beckoned him down. She was dog tired with blood streaked across her skin. The look on her face was grim.

“Arcade and I did everything we could,” she told the big ghoul when he was standing in front of her. “I don’t know if it’s going to be enough. She died twice during surgery. Right now she’s breathing but…Charon she’s not stable. If you have anything you need or want to say you should do it now.”

Six patted his shoulder sympathetically, waving Arcade out of the lantern lit makeshift tent as she pulled the flap back. “We’ll give you some privacy.”

Charon had to crawl inside because of his height but he didn’t care. Six’s desert ranger jacket was covering Rachel light a blanket and there was another rolled up shirt under her head.

Charon settled on his side next to her, finding her hand. She was so cold. He moved a few loose strands of hair away from her face, tucking them behind her ear while he thought about what he wanted to say.

“Ray…” he whispered in her ear. “Why do you do this to me? I need you smoothskin. You saved me in more ways than you could ever know.”

Charon kissed her fingers. “Rachel, you can’t die on me. I love you. I think I have since that first day. You were so pretty and you saw the wasteland in a way I didn’t think was possible. You’ve tamed deathclaws, crossed the continent and disarmed a nuke. You can beat this.”

Charon searched her face for any sign of life but he didn’t find it. He checked her pulse but it was barely there.

Six entered the tent, crouching under the low ceiling. She saw Charon holding onto Rachel’s hand like he was the only thing keeping her alive. To be honest he might be. With all the medical training that had come back from her blank past Six had no idea how the red head was still breathing. She should have died hours before they’d gotten there.

There was something about the way Charon was looking at the girl that stirred something inside of her. Something from her past. Almost like she’d seen something like this before.

“Charon I’m so sorry.”

“She’s a tough woman. She’ll survive.” He insisted.

Six swore. She wanted to save Rachel both for Craig and Charon. “We need to move her someplace safer. Someplace that’s cleaner and has better medical equipment. If we could get her to Camp McCarran she might have a chance but we don’t have the time or resources to move her fast enough.”

Charon nodded. “I know.” He told the Courier quietly. “We’d need a vertibird. People used to be airlifted to hospitals before the war you know. Back when this kind of thing wasn’t a normal part of life.”

Six gasped sharply. “You brilliant man!”

Charon looked at the girl for the first time but she was digging in the pockets of the jacket covering Rachel. She pulled out a long range radio and hit the button.

“Come in. Can anybody hear me?” she asked.

Static crackled and then a male voice chirped through the speakers. “Ranger Station Charlie here. This is a closed frequency. Who is this? Identify yourself.”

“This is an emergency. Patch me through to Cornel Hue at McCarran. Tell him it’s The Courier.”

“Yes Mama!”

Charon gave her a look and Six explained. “I’m older than I look. Long story short I seem to have a proficiency for one woman suicide missions. I’ve racked up a lot of brownie points with the NCR.”

Almost a minute and a half when by before a new voice crackled over the radio but Charon felt something dangerously close to hope when it did.

“This is Cornel Hue. What’s your situation?”

“Hue, This is Six. I need a vertibird at Quarry Junction to airlift a friend back to base.”

“Six, you know I can’t do that. Those are for military use only. The higher up will have my head if I use one for a civilian rescue mission.”

Six ground her teeth together. “I am cashing in all of my favors for this Hue. Rachel Boone took potently fatal injuries trying to deliver a _very late_ payroll to _your_ quarry-men because the NCR has failed to deliver the dynamite needed to take care of the pack of deathclaws that moved in here. She was doing an NCR job, she’s my close personal friend, _and_ she’s the daughter of retired First Recon Sniper Craig Boone.

She is going to die here unless I can get her to McCarran in the next couple hours. Get me that bird or I swear I’ll march my ass over there and steal one out of spite. You know I could get in and out anyone seeing me.”

There was a long beat of silence and then Hue sighed. “Your vertibird will be there in thirty-five minutes.”

Six gave silent thanks to the gods and replied “Thank you Cornel. I owe you.”

“No, now we’re even. Over and Out.”

Charon could have kissed the girl. “I owe you too. Even if…even if she doesn’t make it I owe you. If you ever need anything just ask. Will this damage your relationship with the NCR?”

“Hue is a good man with his hands tied by red tape. He just needed to be reminded that rules should be broken under the right circumstances.”

 

Forty minutes later Charon was double checking the straps of the stretcher that was going to airlift Rachel to safety. He and Six were going to fly ahead while the rest of their group made their way back on foot.

Once they were in the air Charon saw the Alpha deathclaw that had pushed them into the Quarry. It was a bloody heap on the ground. Its underbelly was a gory mess and its throat was missing. It looked like Claws hadn’t taken kindly to the bigger male hurting his mother.


	43. Chapter 43

  
Gob’s Saloon was quiet. It was still too early for the nightlife of Megaton to pick up but too late in the day to still be riding the noon rush.

  
Charon was sitting at a corner table with his back to the wall. The beer in his hands was empty but he hardly noticed. He was too lost in thought to realize the glass was warm and vacant in his hand.

  
_When the vertibird landed Charon stayed with his smoothskin up until they reached the infirmary at McCarran. He was ushered into a waiting area and left to stew in his own crushing anxiety while people bustled around._

  
_Nobody said anything to him. Nobody came close or offered any looks of comfort._   
_Not until Cassidy, Arcade and Boone got there._

  
_Arcade was immediately directed into the infirmary while Cassidy disappeared towards another part of the airport._

  
_Boone was greeted with salutes and nods of respect. The newer recruits wondered if they’d made a very bad mistake in snubbing the big ghoul when the sniper took the seat next to him and put a hand on his bare shoulder._

  
_In the vertibird Charon had ripped off the little that had remained of his tattered armor. He’d tossed it aside without a second thought. The scratches running diagonally across his chest were swollen and red but they weren’t bad enough to worry about right now. A little radiation and he’d be fine in a couple hours._

_Rachel was the only thing he cared about right now._

  
The metal door opened with a flood of light from outside making Charon glanced up. He barely registered Walter shuffling into the saloon. Gob took two beers from the now working refrigerator, setting one down in front of the mechanic before bringing the other to Charon.

  
Gob didn’t say anything to the other ghoul. He knew Charon wasn’t in a talking mood right now. Instead he pulled the empty bottle from his friend’s hands and replaced it with the cold one. Charon nodded and Gob nodded back, returning to the bar silently.

  
_Hours passed while Six and Arcade worked. Two nurses passed by at one point talking quietly but both men distinctly heard them say it would be a miracle if that girl survived the night._

  
_At another point a timid looking woman crept towards them. It was hard to tell how many hours had passed, time seemed to blur together. The woman introduced herself as a private and held out a neatly folded shirt to Charon._

  
_He must have given her a strange look because she ducted her head shyly. “It belonged to my husband. He was big like you. The Courier brought home his body after he was killed in action. Any friend of hers is a friend of mine.”_

  
_Charon had muttered a thank you as she skittered away. He pulled the shirt on, even managing to feel marginally better for a few seconds._

  
_An important looking man approached them at some point after that and held out his hand. Both Charon and Boone stood. Boone shook his hand first and then the man offered his hand to Charon. The ghoul took it as the man spoke. “I’m Cornel Hue. You have my sincerest and deepest apologies for what happened to your partner. I have my best people assisting Six. If there is anything I can do ask. The NCR owes you all a dept for clearing out the Quarry.”_

  
_Charon nodded numbly and Hue left him to him misery._

  
_It was dark before Six finally appeared. Her face was dirty which showed the tear tracks down her cheeks all too clearly. “Charon…” her voice was so exhausted._

  
“Charon?” another voice asked.

  
He blinked and looked at the smaller hands wrapped around his before shifting his gaze up into brilliant golden eyes. “Charon? Are you alright?”

  
Charon stood, ushering his pretty smoothskin into a chair. “Yes, but you shouldn’t be up. You’re going to rip your stitches again.”

  
“I was carful.” Rachel told him, smiling sleepily. “Church even thinks that I might be able to take the stitches out next week.”

  
“Only if you have healed by then.” Charon leaned in, placing a kiss on her lips. “I’m glad you’re getting your energy back.”

  
“Me too,” she told him, taking a sip of his abandoned beer. “I feel awful when I have to take a break going halfway up the stairs.”

  
“How long did it take you to get over here?” He asked, worried she was going to push herself too far. Honestly he’d seen bloatflies better able to sit still.

  
“Twenty minutes. But that was just from the couch to Jericho’s.” That spark of mischief that Charon loved flashed in her eyes. “I made him carry me.”

  
When Charon scowled she giggled darkly. “He tried to make me go back to bed baby, he really did. But I threatened to walk all the way over here with or without him.”

  
Charon relaxed.

  
Nova and Jericho had been heaven sent in helping him take care of Rachel. Craig was a welcome help too. The sniper was staying with them until Rachel was back to normal.

He had strict orders from Six to report back whether or not she was as good a surgeon as everybody thought.

  
“Hey kid! Glad you’re out and about.” Gob greeted, setting a bottle of Aqua Pura on the table in front of Rachel.

  
“I’m workin’ on it. Look, I’m not even seeping goo today.” she said, lifting the loose white T-shirt she was wearing to show both ghouls the clean white bandaged wrapped around her torso.

  
“Good,” Gob told her cheerfully. “Cause that’s gross.”

  
Charon and Rachel hung out at Gob’s for an hour or two before Charon caught Rachel yawning. Her recovering body took a lot of sleep and while she was fighting it now he decided it was time for dinner. Dinner was a good excuse to get her to go home with him.   
Charon stretched, “I’m gettin’ hungry smoothskin. You wanna go grill up those steaks Craig brought home?”

  
“Sure, after dinner can you take me out to see Claws?” She asked, “I miss him.”

  
He wanted to say maybe tomorrow but the hope on her face made him nod. “If you’re still awake when the dishes are done.”

  
Rachel was not awake when the dishes were done but Charon hadn’t expected her to be.

He scooped her up from the couch were she’d fallen asleep, carrying her upstairs like he did every night.

  
_“Charon,” Six was exhausted inside and out. “I don’t how but…she’s…she’s awake. And she’s asking for you.”_

  
_Charon sprang to his feet, knocking over several people in his hurry to get to Rachel’s side. She was lying in a hospital bed. They’d cleaned her up and brushed her hair. The relief he felt when her eyes shifted and focused on him was indescribable._

  
_“Charon,” her voice was horse but steady, “Are you okay?”_

  
_Charon couldn’t help it. He laughed. It was a deep booming from the center of his chest. “I am fine.” He told her when he could speak. “I should be asking you the same. How do you feel?”_

  
_“Like I was gutted by a deathclaw.” She gave him a weak half smile. “I suppose I almost was.”_

  
_Charon nodded and sat on the edge of her bed. Rachel’s hand found his and she squeezed his fingers. “I’m so sorry Charon. I suppose you got my note.”_

  
_“I did.” Charon nodded. “You really burned it?”_

  
_“I did.” Rachel whispered. “I thought if I was gonna die anyway I shouldn’t waste the opportunity. Do you feel like you’re gonna have to kill me now?”_

  
_Charon blanched at the thought. “Never, I guess you found the loophole. I had to protect the contract. Nothing was said about after the contract was gone.”_

  
_“Good, now that I’m alive I’d like to stay that way.” Rachel told him._

  
_“Rachel… I’m a free man now.” Charon kissed her finger and then her forehead. “As my own man I want to tell you something. Rachel Boone, from the day you walked into the ninth circle until the day I die I have and will always love you. I promise that even without the contract I am nothing without you.”_

  
_Charon kissed her parted lips, his hands sliding over her cheeks._

  
_“Charon,” Rachel murmured against his lips. “I love you too. Forever and always.”_

  
_Rachel spent a week recovering at McCarran before she started getting cranky. She had very little privacy in the large infirmary. To make an annoying thing worse as a miracle survival story people tended to stare at her while they whispered. Charon finally talked Hue into lending them a vertibird to get home._

_It took a few thousand caps donated towards the war effort but finally Hue agreed._

  
_Six and Boone collected their things from Novac for them. The sight of them walking through the gates of McCarran would not be forgotten. Six had put Claws in full armor. The girl had even gone so far as to polish it._

  
_The sun glinted off the shining metal while Six perched proudly on his back. Several of the men loading the vertibird with supplies had their mouths hanging open. Hue dropped his clipboard._

  
_Charon wheeled Rachel’s chair forward and she whistled. Claws stood straight up, scenting the air while he tried to scan the area with his good eye. When he spotted Rachel Six lost all control. Several men had their weapons up but nobody fired. Rachel held her arms out, letting Claws bury his nose into her chest, smelling her all over. He licked her face she giggled, scratching under his chin._

  
_“Good boy,” she cooed. “You wanna go for a ride?”_

  
_Six laughed at the look on the soldiers faces. “Everyone, meet Claws. He’s Rachel’s.”_

  
_The flight home was ten hours. It was amazing to set down in front of the gates of Megaton in less than a day of leaving McCarran. Six hadn’t joined them this trip like Boone had but she’d promised to visit when things in New Vegas calmed down._

  
_Simms almost shit a brick when the vertibird’s cargo door hissed opened and Charon emerged flanked by soldiers with a banged up Rachel in his arms. Simms floundered for words but couldn’t find them. Charon promised the sheriff that he’d explain everything after her got Rachel settled._

  
_Boone had blended into the quiet little town easily. He planned to return to Novac but right now he was enjoying the east coast._

  
Six weeks at home had done wonders for Rachel. It would be another six weeks until Charon would even consider letting her out past Claws’ pen but he’d find things to keep her occupied until then.

  
When Charon had Rachel tucked in he went back down stairs, grabbing three beer from the fridge. At the little table set up outside the front door Jericho and Boone were already waiting. Boone offered the ghoul a cigarette while Jericho shuffled a battered deck of cards.

  
When Rachel was stronger they’d move their poker game back to the Saloon but for right now playing outside the door wasn’t bad as long as the wind didn’t kick up.

  
“She down for the night?” Jericho asked.

  
“Hard tellin,” Charon grumbled. “Her nightmares are gone for the most part though so that makes it easier.”

  
“That girls’ got nine lives,” Jericho commented, dealing the cards.

  
Next to them the radio finished up the song it had been playing. Three Dogs voice cracked over the speakers.

  
_“Hello children! This is Three Dog coming to you loud and Proud from the middle of the D.C Hellhole. I’ve got reports that our very own Angel has landed back in the Capitol Wasteland. Reports say she went six feet under while facing down an army of deathclaws. I don’t know if I believe it myself but according to ol’ Three Dog’s sources she rose from her grave like a phoenix from the ashes. That’s the news in the wasteland today children! Angel’s among us again and they say she’s got a brand new set of wings.”_

The End

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated!


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